Category: English

In my past life, I took the fall for the Reed family’s foster son and served five years in prison. But the day I was released, I was greeted by his extravagant birthday party. The Reeds stripped me naked and threw me into a snowdrift, leaving me to freeze to death. When I opened my eyes again, I was five years old, on the very day my biological parents, the Reeds, were supposed to take me home. That’s when my sister, Brooke Reed, suddenly burst out. She stood fiercely in the doorway, a desperate barrier, pointing at my tattered clothes. “Dad, Mom, don’t bring him back! He’ll destroy our family!” Seeing her reaction, so utterly different from my past life, I instantly knew she had been reborn too. After my parents left, looking disappointed, she walked up to me and forcefully shoved a piece of candy into my hand, her voice like ice, sharp and cutting. “The Reeds have enough with one son, Tyler.” “You, you menace. This time, you should just rot out here.” I squeezed the candy tightly, my nails almost piercing my palm. She was right. In her eyes, in my past life, my only purpose was to ward off misfortune for the Reed family, to step up and take the blame whenever Tyler got into trouble. Now that she had a second chance, she foresaw that my existence, this stain, would ruin the Reed family’s reputation. So, this useless thing that I was, naturally had no reason to return to the Reed home. I smiled, but my tears betrayed me, streaming down against my will. I fiercely wiped them away, telling myself that Alex Reed was dead. The person alive now was *me*. I turned and walked back to my quiet corner of the orphanage. Not long after, a black sedan pulled up at the entrance. Director Thompson led a distinguished elderly woman, with elegant white hair, inside. All the children in the orphanage erupted in excitement, like a flock of excited birds, chirping and fluttering around her, each desperate to show off. “Hello, Grandma!” “Grandma, I’ll sing for you!” “Grandma, look at my drawing!” Only I remained, quiet in an inconspicuous corner, feeling like an outsider. The old woman noticed me. She gently pushed through the crowd, leaning on a dark wooden cane, and walked step by step toward me. “Little one, why are you sitting here all by yourself? Don’t they like you?” I shook my head, looked up, and held out the candy in my hand, which had grown warm from my tight grip. “Grandma, have some candy.” I tried my best to appear calm and mature, far beyond my years. She paused, clearly surprised. She took the candy, unwrapped it, and put it in her mouth, a relaxed smile spreading across her face. “Hmm, very sweet.” She looked at me deeply, then asked, “What’s your name?” “Director Thompson calls me Alex.” “Alex…” She repeated my name, then nodded. “Do you want to come home with me, little one? Be my grandson.” The room instantly fell silent. All the children’s gazes locked onto me, filled with burning envy. I didn’t hesitate for a second, nodding forcefully. “I do.” She burst into hearty laughter, her voice ringing out. “Good! Excellent! From today on, your name is Alex Vance.” She took my hand, her palm warm and dry. “Knowing the law and understanding speech, discerning right from wrong.” “My child, Grandma hopes you will become a person who upholds justice and fairness.” I understood the weight of her words, her high hopes. She was none other than the retired legal titan, a former Supreme Court Justice – Justice Eleanor Vance. In that moment, I tightly clutched her hand. I became the most cherished grandson of the Vance family. Grandma Vance treasured me like precious jade, personally teaching me legal principles and logic, taking me to observe court trials, and opening up a whole new world for me. My aunts and uncles in the Vance family, though all busy legal elites, always brought me various law books and fascinating case studies whenever they returned home, showing genuine care. The one who doted on me the most was my older sister, Scarlett Vance, ten years my senior. The first time she saw me, she took off her wire-rimmed glasses, a gentle smile gracing her beautiful face. “No one touches our precious little brother, Alex.” That was a phrase she often said. Surrounded by such immense love, I almost forgot the pain of my past life. I studied diligently. From law school to the bar exam, my grades were always top of the class. Debate trophies from various mock trials filled my room. Twenty years later, I became the youngest and most renowned star prosecutor in the country.

My days were calm and fulfilling. I thought the Reed family would vanish from my life forever. Until that day, when my assistant knocked on my office door. “Mr. Vance, there’s a Ms. Brooke Reed outside. She specifically asked to see you.” “She said she wants to hire you as a consultant for a major commercial fraud case her corporation is involved in.” Hearing that name, my heart still gave an uncontrollable lurch. I took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of emotion, my voice calm and steady. “Let her in.” A tall woman, dressed in a sharp business suit, walked in. Her face had shed the awkwardness of youth, becoming even more captivating and refined. Brooke froze the moment she saw me. Her deep-set eyes were wide with shock and disbelief. She never would have imagined that the rising legal star she had gone to such lengths to hire would be me, the boy she had personally abandoned twenty years ago. After a long moment, she finally found her voice, her tone full of doubt. “You… you’re Alex Vance, the prosecutor?” I nodded. “Ms. Reed, please have a seat. However, you might be mistaken. I am a prosecutor; I don’t handle private cases.” She seemed not to hear me, scrutinizing me instead. “Are you really a prosecutor? How confident are you that you can handle our case well?” Her attitude made it sound like I was some kind of charlatan chasing fame. My assistant, Chloe, could barely stand it, blurting out, “Ma’am, Mr. Vance is one of the top prosecutors in our system. His time is extremely valuable…” I looked at Brooke, a faint, almost imperceptible curve on my lips. “It seems Ms. Reed doesn’t have much faith in my professional abilities.” “In that case, this meeting is over.” “Chloe, please show our guest out.” Brooke’s face instantly darkened. She gritted her teeth, but in the end, said nothing, turning and slamming the door behind her as she left. Chloe stomped her foot in frustration. “Mr. Vance, that woman is so rude! Who does she think she is?!” I just smiled nonchalantly. “It’s fine, just a client who doesn’t know what’s what.” For me, it truly was just a trivial little incident. After work, Brooke suddenly appeared at the entrance of the Department of Justice building, blocking my way. Her face held a complex, somber expression. I instantly frowned. “Something wrong?” She stared at me, her gaze unyielding. After a long silence, she squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth. “Alex Reed, I’m warning you.” “No matter who you are now, don’t even think about using this case to harm Tyler.” I almost laughed in exasperation. Twenty years ago, she had cruelly prevented me from returning to my biological family. Now, she was calling me Alex Reed again. She came to me herself, yet her first impulse was to warn me not to harm Tyler? Why did she think I would waste my time on someone like him? I looked at her as if she were an unreasonable lunatic. “Ms. Reed, my surname is Vance, and my name is Alex Vance. Please don’t get it wrong.” “Furthermore, I don’t know you, and I certainly don’t know your brother.” “As a prosecutor, my duty is to uphold justice, not to frame others.” “So, why would I harm a complete stranger I don’t even know?” Brooke froze, a flicker of bewilderment crossing her face. “You… you don’t remember me?” She seemed unable to accept this fact, her voice unconsciously rising. “Twenty years ago, at the orphanage entrance! I was the one who stopped you…” She stopped mid-sentence, seemingly finding her past actions too shameful to articulate. I watched her embarrassment, feeling only speechlessness and disgust. Of course, I remembered. I remembered every look of revulsion she gave me, every hateful word she uttered. I remembered how she had personally pushed me away, severing all my illusions of family affection. But I chose to pretend I didn’t. I feigned a moment of deep thought, then adopted an expression of dawning realization. “Ohh—” I deliberately drew out the sound. “So it was you.” I looked at her, smiling innocently. “I’m really sorry, but events from twenty years ago are so distant. I’ve long forgotten them.” “After all, I have so many important case files to review every day. Who has time to remember petty little things?”

Brooke’s face instantly turned ugly. Petty little things? In her eyes, that had been a momentous event that determined my destiny. This hurt her more than any direct insult. She bit her lip, unwilling to concede. “Don’t play dumb with me!” “Are you telling me you’re not holding a grudge because I prevented the Reeds from adopting you back then, and now you’re looking for a chance to get revenge on me and my brother?” I finally couldn’t help but scoff. “Ms. Reed, are you perhaps a little too self-important?” I dropped my smile, my eyes turning cold. “Revenge on you? Are you even worth it?” “If anything, I should thank you. If you hadn’t been so determined to stop them back then, how would I have had the chance to become Justice Eleanor Vance’s grandson?” “How would I have achieved what I have now?” “So, I’m too busy being grateful to you. Why would I hate you?” Every word I spoke was light and casual, yet they landed like knives, piercing deeply into Brooke’s heart. She was utterly speechless, her face fluctuating between green and white. “Eleanor Vance? Don’t you dare spout nonsense here!” She seemed to have grasped some leverage, immediately retorting with sarcasm. “You think just because your name is Vance, you’re related to the Justice? Dream on! Someone like you could never get through the Vance family’s front door!” The moment her words fell silent. A black Bentley glided silently to a stop beside us. The car door opened, and a tall, elegant woman stepped out. She quickly walked to my side, naturally draping a trench coat over my shoulders. She didn’t even spare Brooke a glance, simply gently ruffling my hair. “Alex, why are you still here? Grandma’s getting impatient.” Then, her gaze finally fell on Brooke. “Little brother, who is this?” I linked arms with Scarlett Vance, smiling brightly. “Oh, it’s nothing, Sis. Just a client who wanted to consult about a case and chatted with me for a bit.” Brooke was utterly frozen in place. She stared incredulously at Scarlett and me, at our intimate gestures, then at the luxury car that proclaimed their status. She wasn’t foolish. Of course, she recognized Scarlett Vance, the founder of the country’s top law firm, Vance & Co. And of course, she knew that Scarlett Vance had a younger brother, cherished by the entire Vance family. But she never in her wildest dreams imagined that brother would be *me*. Unbidden, the image of the young man in a prison uniform from her past life, his eyes vacant as he looked at her through the glass in the visitation room, flashed in her mind. And now, that same young man was smiling, linking arms with another woman, and sweetly calling her “Sis.” While she was still in a daze, I had already gotten into Scarlett Vance’s car. The next day, my assistant told me that Brooke Reed was trying to use various connections to have her corporation’s case transferred to the Department of Justice where I worked, hoping I would intervene as the prosecutor. Chloe tidied up my documents while complaining. “Mr. Vance, is this Brooke Reed crazy?” “The day before yesterday, she looked like she didn’t trust you at all, and today she’s practically throwing herself at you again.” “I bet she just realized you’re a Vance and wants to climb the social ladder!” I merely smiled, saying nothing. I signed my name on the case transfer request. I wanted to see what kind of act she was planning now.

At three in the afternoon, the entire Reed family, including Tyler, arrived promptly at my office. This time, they were summoned as family members of a suspect in the case. Twenty years hadn’t changed Tyler. He was still meticulously dressed, maintaining that innocent, delicate look that made people instinctively want to protect him. Brooke’s attitude was a hundred times more respectful than last time. “Mr. Vance, I was too impulsive last time. I apologize.” Mr. and Mrs. Reed stood awkwardly beside her, their eyes on me filled with complex emotions. I couldn’t be bothered with them. My gaze fell directly on Tyler. “The suspect stays. Family, please wait outside.” The office door closed, shutting out their sight. Only Tyler and I remained in the room. The innocent, pale look on his face vanished instantly. In its place was an undisguised expression of jealousy and malice. He eyed me up and down, a mocking smile playing on his lips. “Alex Reed. No, I should call you Alex Vance.” “Who would’ve thought, you’re really hard to kill.” “Thrown out by our family, and you still managed to climb up the Vance family’s high branches. What a skill.” I looked at him calmly, as if watching a pathetic clown. “Tyler Reed, this is an interrogation. Please maintain your composure.” My coldness seemed to infuriate him. He leaned back in his chair, continuing to provoke me with a sharp, sarcastic tone. “What? Being a prosecutor makes you special? Don’t you still have to watch enviously as I live a better life than you?” “Let me tell you, what if you’re a Vance now?” “In my sister’s heart, you’ll never compare to even my little finger!” “She only asked for you because she didn’t know you were *the* Mr. Vance. Don’t flatter yourself!”

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Ryan, my brother-in-law, was bitten by a venomous snake while collecting firewood in the woods behind our house. His life hung by a thread. The local hospital was short on antivenom, and the key to the office storing it had been taken by my wife, Sophia Thompson. I begged her to come back and save Ryan, but she wouldn’t believe me. “Jack, stop making things up! I just video called my brother an hour ago!” “Being bitten by a snake? What kind of ridiculous lie is that?” She hung up on my plea for help. By the time we got the antivenom, Ryan had already died from the venom. When Sophia saw Ryan’s body, she lost her mind. That weekend, Ryan had insisted on taking me to his mother’s house in town for dinner. He wanted to help his mom by collecting firewood from the woods behind the house. Half an hour later, he came back limping, telling me he’d been bitten by a snake. As soon as he finished speaking, he vomited all over the ground. I panicked and immediately called Sophia. But she didn’t believe me: “Jack, it’s just dinner. How can you come up with such an excuse?” “I just talked to William for a bit, and you’re making a fuss!” I grew desperate, “No, it’s real this time. Your brother is throwing up!” “I’m not lying to you!” Ryan could barely speak beside me, sweating profusely from the pain. Just then, Mrs. Thompson returned and started wailing when she saw the situation, “Sophia, something’s wrong with your brother. Come back quickly!” “Mom, you’re a grown woman. Stop playing along with them!” “I’m watching a movie with my friend. I’m hanging up!” She abruptly ended the call. I was at a loss. Ryan’s wound wasn’t swollen or red, but he could no longer stand. With no help from Sophia, I could only borrow an electric tricycle from a neighbor and rush Ryan to the hospital. But we were told that antivenom for this type of snake was rare and kept in a separate office. “Dr. Thompson took the key with her. There’s nothing we can do.” I panicked and immediately called Sophia again. “Sophia, this is a matter of life and death. Your brother really was bitten by a snake!” “Come back now. The antivenom is locked up, and you have the key!” Hearing this, Sophia was silent for a few seconds. Then, a male voice came through the phone: “Sophia, didn’t your brother say they sprinkled snake repellent around your house? How could he get bitten by a snake?” “Could it be that your husband doesn’t approve of us watching a movie together, so he’s deliberately making you go back?” “Let’s just call it a day.” Hearing this, Sophia grew even more irritated, “Jack, I can see right through you. Stop bothering me!” She hung up and blocked my number when I tried calling again. My legs went weak with anxiety. I used Mrs. Thompson’s phone to call her. “Sophia! The only antivenom in the city is at your hospital. Come back and save your brother now!” To make her believe me, I sent her a photo of Ryan. Sophia was furious and sent a voice message: “Jack, when will you stop? I’ve told you, William and I are just friends. We haven’t seen each other in a long time and just met up!” “You just can’t stand it, can you? Do you have to make a scene every day?!” “Bitten by a venomous snake? Look, does that wound look like it’s from a snake? There’s not even any blood!” I was livid, “Sophia, that’s your own brother!” Sophia had been spending a lot of time with William lately, and we’d argued about it many times. But Ryan was always good to me, often helping to persuade Sophia that she should be faithful now that she was married. In this situation, I couldn’t just stand by and watch him die. I couldn’t get through to Sophia, so I had no choice but to kneel on the ground and beg the doctors: “Please, break down the door!” “I’ll take full responsibility for any consequences!” “Saving a life is what matters most!” Mrs. Thompson was crying uncontrollably beside me. The doctors were also anxious, frantically trying to call Sophia, but she wouldn’t answer. At that moment, someone came in from outside. “Stop calling. They’re not really patients. They’re here to cause trouble!” “That man is Sophia’s husband. He suspects Sophia is cheating on him and has made a scene several times before!” “Sophia just called me to let you all know.” Hearing this, I was dumbfounded. The person who came in was Steve, Sophia’s friend and William’s childhood friend. He stood there with his arms crossed, looking at me with contempt, “Don’t look at me like that. Sophia said you’re just being paranoid!”

The emergency room was full of onlookers. Hearing Steve say this, they couldn’t help but look down on us. “What kind of person does this? Don’t waste public resources!” “Coming to the hospital to make a scene out of jealousy? Don’t you know where you are?” “This whole family is crazy!” Faced with their accusations, I was furious. I turned to Steve, “You’re a doctor too. Can’t you see the patient is in serious pain?” “His wound is real. My brother-in-law said he was bitten by a snake. Please save him quickly!” Mrs. Thompson cried out, “That damn Sophia! This is her own brother!” Steve scoffed: “Dr. Thompson said you’d make a scene, but I didn’t believe it. Now I see she was right…” He looked me up and down, his eyes full of disdain. It made my blood boil, but now wasn’t the time to argue with him. Mrs. Thompson was crying beside me, and Ryan had already passed out. I knelt on the ground: “Please, open the door. I’m begging you!” I kowtowed to them repeatedly. Steve quickly stepped back, “Jack, are you trying to emotionally blackmail us?” “This isn’t emotional blackmail. I’ll take responsibility for any consequences. Whatever Sophia wants to do to me afterward, even if she wants a divorce, that’s fine.” “I just beg you to open that door and get the life-saving medicine out. Please!” I kept kowtowing to them: “Please, I’m begging you!” Seeing this, Steve seemed to soften a bit. He took out his phone and called Sophia. “Sophia, it looks serious. Your brother really was bitten by a snake. The situation is very critical. You should come back quickly!” Hearing this, Sophia scoffed on the other end, “Steve, why are you playing along with them?” “I’ve told you, Jack gets along great with my mom and brother at home. The three of them often gang up on me!” “Don’t get involved in this!” She hung up abruptly. Even Steve was stunned, not expecting Sophia to be so stubborn in her disbelief. At this point, the police had arrived. After hearing about the situation, they made a decisive call to break down the door! Steve tried to stop them, but I grabbed him, “Steve, if anything happens to my brother-in-law, I will hold you responsible!” “I won’t let a single person involved in this incident off the hook!” Steve was taken aback, then retorted defiantly, “Just because you say it’s snake venom doesn’t mean it is! We need to wait for the test results!” The emergency department doctors had already taken blood for testing, but the results would take 40 minutes. Ryan was unconscious, and they couldn’t make a definitive judgment because the wound was just two small red dots. I quickly took a photo and posted online for help. “My brother-in-law was bitten by a venomous snake. The local hospital can’t determine the type. Please help identify if it’s really from a venomous snake.” “Help! Urgent request!!!” Kind netizens helped boost my post. Soon, a snake expert called me. “Hello, I’ve looked at your photo and can confirm it’s from a venomous snake. The golden window for treatment is only four hours. Based on your location, only City General Hospital in your area has the antivenom.” “Even if you get the antivenom and inject it, there may still be after-effects.” “Time is of the essence. You must get treatment immediately!”

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Just because Chloe wanted to know whether a Tibetan Mastiff or a wolf was stronger, my boyfriend Liam locked me, a wolf-born, in a cage with a giant Tibetan Mastiff. I dragged my body, still weak from the recent abortion I had for him, and fought the Mastiff to the death. As I was being bitten to a bloody pulp, Liam was up in the stands covering the eyes of his frightened sweetheart Chloe. Seeing this, Liam’s buddies immediately started teasing: “Bro, this Aria really can transform into a wolf for you, fighting a 400-pound Mastiff for so long!” “But after you treat her like this for Chloe’s sake, she’s probably going to give up on you completely and stop chasing after you.” As soon as they finished speaking, someone retorted: “Our bro Liam is Aria’s imprinted lover. Once a wolf imprints, that bond never disappears!” “Even if Liam wanted to skin her alive to make a fur coat for Chloe, she would hand over her pelt without complaint!” Hearing this, Chloe looked at Liam with confused eyes and asked, “Liam, can she really go that far for you?” Liam’s lips curled into a smug smile. “Wolf-people must unconditionally obey and protect their imprinted lover.” “So even if I told her to die, she would still love me to the bone and obey without question.” He said it so casually, but it felt like my blood was flowing backwards through my veins. But Liam, you’re wrong. A wolf’s imprint is not impossible to break, and I’m not destined to only love you…

“Liam, but you’ve always kept her by your side. I’m afraid you might actually develop feelings for her someday,” Chloe said. Her words made the air fall silent for a moment. Then suddenly, an eruption of raucous laughter broke out. “Miss Chloe, you can rest easy! The only reason our bro Liam is with Aria is because you suddenly went abroad back then and broke his heart. Now that you’re back, do you think he’d still care about that lapdog?” “That’s right, the only interesting thing about Aria is her wolf identity. If she wasn’t a wolf-girl, Liam would’ve dumped her ages ago.” Hearing this, Chloe bit her lip and looked at the silent Liam. “Is that true?” “Mhm,” Liam responded lightly, his long fingers caressing Chloe’s face. “Of course it’s true. Compared to you, she’s nothing more than a plaything to pass the time…” Those two words – “plaything” – that he uttered so casually felt like two sharp blades stabbing into my heart. As I was reeling from the pain, I failed to notice the Mastiff across from me waiting for an opportunity to strike. Seizing the moment I was distracted, the Mastiff lunged at my throat with its blood-filled maw. I stared at those dripping fangs, closed my eyes in despair. “Aria! What are you doing?!” An angry roar snapped me out of my daze. When I opened my eyes, I saw the Mastiff had collapsed, hit by four tranquilizer darts. Liam stood in the stands staring at me, his eyes filled with panic and fury. He ordered someone to lift me, still in wolf form, out of the cage. His eyes bulging with rage: “Aria, are you trying to get yourself killed?!” “You could face off against two Siberian tigers alone to save me before, but now you almost get killed by a dog!” “Is it because you’re upset I put you in a cage for Chloe’s sake, so you’re deliberately acting weak to make me look bad?!” So he still remembered how I had fought two adult Siberian tigers without regard for my own life, rescuing him from their jaws. Back then, he had held me tightly in his arms, moved to tears, and promised to love and protect me for life… I believed him, but he hadn’t kept a single word of that promise… My injuries were too severe to maintain my beast form any longer. Amidst the jeers of the crowd, I transformed back into human form. Completely naked. Liam’s buddies got excited when they saw. “Damn! That slim waist and plump ass, so fucking hot!” “How come we never noticed before that Aria’s such a bombshell!” “Bro, she must be wild in bed! If I could just get a feel—” “Shut up!” Liam’s angry shout cut off the vulgar comments. He looked at me with furrowed brows and took off his own jacket. Seeing this, Chloe’s face immediately tightened. “Liam, Aria is still a girl after all. It pains me to see her in such a miserable state. Let me help her put on some clothes.” With that, she hurriedly took the jacket from Liam’s hands and bent down to drape it over me with a sympathetic expression. But the next second, she suddenly grabbed my hand and deliberately used my still-extended wolf claws to scratch hard across the back of her own hand. “Ouch! It hurts!” “What happened?!” Liam quickly stepped forward, pulling Chloe into his arms. Then he glared at me fiercely: “Aria, how dare you be so ungrateful! Chloe was kind enough to help you get dressed, and you dare to hurt her!” “I didn’t, she did it herself…” I tried to explain, but was cut off by Chloe’s tearful words: “Aria, I’m so sorry. Earlier when I said I wanted to see who was stronger between you and the Mastiff, it was just a joke. I never thought Liam and the others would take it seriously.” “It’s all my fault for having such a ridiculous idea. If hurting me will make you feel better, then go ahead and keep hitting me. I won’t fight back.” After saying this, she approached me with a pitiful look on her face. I instinctively felt a wave of disgust and wanted to push her away. Seeing this, Liam reacted as if facing a great enemy. “Aria, stop right there!” “Haven’t you caused enough trouble?! Chloe is kind and forgiving, but that doesn’t mean you can bully her like this!” Then he kicked me hard in the chest, sending me flying. I collapsed pathetically on the ground, my chest aching as I coughed up blood several times. But when I looked up, I met Liam’s cold eyes. He was going to take Chloe to the hospital to bandage her wound. One of his friends asked if they should bring me along, but he coldly replied: “She’s a wolf, tough as nails. She won’t die.” With that, he left the arena with everyone else without a backward glance. Watching Liam’s resolute back as he walked away, I remembered how excited he had been when he first learned he was my imprinted lover, hugging me with eyes full of deep affection. I naively thought he actually liked me. Until Chloe came back, and he started torturing me in various ways to make her happy, even making me transform into a wolf multiple times to kneel under Chloe as her mount. That’s when I realized his initial joy was never because he liked me. It was because he discovered he had gained someone who would love him steadfastly no matter how poorly he treated them… But Liam, I don’t want to love you anymore. I painfully crawled over to where my clothes were, picked up my phone, and dialed a number. “Chief, I want to extract my spirit root and erase Liam’s wolf clan imprint.”

“Have you lost your mind?!” The clan chief looked at me, brought back by clan members, his expression extremely grim. “After extracting your spirit root, you’ll become a normal human, not only exiled from the wolf clan, but also lose half your lifespan!” “How is that any different from seeking death?!” “But living like this is a thousand times more painful than death.” The chief’s expression softened as he looked at my weak state, but he still tried to persuade me: “Wolf clan descendants are already rare, and you’re from the strongest lineage. Even if you must extract your spirit root, at least leave behind offspring with Liam first.” Hearing this, I laughed bitterly. “Liam said he doesn’t like children. I’ve been pregnant several times over the past two years, but he always sent people to take me to the hospital for abortions.” “I’m really tired…” At this moment, my little wolf brother Tommy suddenly darted out and stood protectively in front of me. He bared his newly sprouted fangs at the chief who was pressuring me, and snarled: “No one can bully my sister! Watch out old man, or I’ll bite you!” Seeing this, the chief shook his head helplessly and finally relented. But my body was too weak now, and I needed to recover for five days before the spirit root extraction ritual could be performed. However, the very next day, Liam called. He demanded to know why I hadn’t returned all night, and ordered me to come back immediately. I couldn’t control my love for him, and agreed without any dignity. But Liam, in four days, this love will disappear… Clan members sent me back to the villa. When the door opened, I saw Liam sitting on the couch smoking a cigar. Tommy was about to rush over and bite him to avenge me. Liam didn’t panic at all, and coldly called out: “Aria—” He knew I wouldn’t let him come to any harm. As he expected, I quickly stepped forward and grabbed Tommy. “Sis, after how he’s treated you, you’re still protecting him!” Seeing the indignation on Tommy’s face, my heart ached terribly. I could only have the clan members forcibly take him away. After everyone left, Liam got up carelessly and handed me a diamond necklace. “I didn’t know you had just had an abortion that day. This is a gift to make up for it.” It was his secretary who had taken me to the hospital, yet now he claimed he didn’t know… I looked up at him, tears involuntarily welling up in my eyes. Seeing my weak and pitiful state, his face immediately tightened and he grew aroused. Perhaps to him, my only remaining value was for this. Then he gripped my waist, lifted me onto the table, and eagerly leaned down to kiss me. However, just as our lips were about to meet, his phone rang. Chloe’s coquettish voice came from the other end. “Liam, I’m not feeling well. Can you come see me?” Hearing this, Liam withdrew his hand from my waist and replied anxiously: “Alright, I’ll be right there.” “Liam—” I called out to stop him. “Why are you… so good to her…” Faced with my questioning, Liam replied in a deep voice: “Fifteen years ago when my adoptive parents abandoned me on the street, it was Chloe who gave me bread and saved me. She stayed with me through that most difficult time. If it wasn’t for her, I would have frozen to death in the snow.” Boy, bread, snow… Suddenly, some fragmented images flashed through my mind, but stopped abruptly after a sharp pain. But at this moment, I no longer had the energy to dwell on those long-lost memories. I looked at Liam, my voice trembling uncontrollably: “But I’ve saved you too—” “More than once.” Hearing this, his tone turned cold: “You saved me only because I’m your imprinted lover. That’s what you’re supposed to do for me.” With that, he shook off my hand and hurriedly left the villa. Watching Liam’s resolute back as he walked away, I recalled how excited he had been when he first learned he was my imprinted lover, hugging me with eyes full of deep affection. I naively thought he actually liked me. Until Chloe came back, and he started torturing me in various ways to make her happy, even making me transform into a wolf multiple times to kneel under Chloe as her mount. That’s when I realized his initial joy was never because he liked me. It was because he discovered he had gained someone who could be mistreated without care, yet would still love him steadfastly… But Liam, I don’t want to love you anymore. I struggled to crawl over to my clothes, picked up my phone, and dialed a number. “Chief, I want to extract my spirit root and erase Liam’s wolf clan imprint.”

Liam didn’t return all night. I lay awake until dawn. As soon as I walked out of the bedroom, I saw Tommy who had come to visit me. He was holding a bag of my favorite chestnut pastries, standing downstairs with a bright smile. “Sis! Come down quick! I got up at 5am and waited in line for over two hours to buy these! They’re still warm!” My nose stung with emotion as I rushed downstairs to hug him. “Aww, such touching sibling love—” Chloe suddenly pushed open the door and walked in. With a smug look, she said: “I’m here to get some clean clothes for Liam. He spent the whole night with me yesterday, he’s exhausted.” “I don’t know what got into Liam last night. I told him to be gentle since there’s a baby in my belly, but he kissed me so passionately he almost lost control.” She was actually pregnant with Liam’s child… “Liam said he hates children. He won’t let you keep it.” After I said this, Chloe burst out laughing. “Aria, is something wrong with your brain?” “I’m over two months pregnant already. Liam takes me for prenatal checkups every week, and even had special nutritional supplements brought in from abroad for me.” “You actually think he would make me get an abortion? What a joke!” “The reason Liam said that to you is because he finds you disgusting. He doesn’t want a half-breed wolf child!” I was struck speechless, my heart aching uncontrollably. Nine abortions in three years. It turns out he didn’t hate children, he just hated the one carrying the child – me… “How dare you bully my sister, I’ll bite you to death!” Tommy suddenly transformed into wolf form and lunged at Chloe. Although I held him back, Chloe was still scared enough to fall on her butt. In the end, she scrambled to her feet and ran away. But before leaving, she threw back one last vicious remark: “Aria, you dare make me look bad! I’ll make you regret this!” I thought she would go tell on me to Liam, making him come torture me. But when Liam returned that night, he acted as usual, even showing rare concern for me and Tommy. “Aria, isn’t your brother starting elementary school next year?” “He’s always been mischievous, with mediocre grades. I hate seeing you worry about him all the time, so I found a tutor who can help him study well over the summer break.” This was the first time he had shown concern for me since Chloe’s return. I immediately felt a warmth in my heart. I was so moved I choked up: “Liam, thank you for thinking of me and Tommy.” Seeing how touched I was, Liam’s expression tightened slightly.

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On our wedding anniversary, my wife Rachel, a professional translator, once again received an urgent assignment and couldn’t spend the day with me. But before I knew it, she appeared in Ryan’s social media video, hurling insults at a group of old ladies in eighteen different languages. Gone was her usual elegant demeanor. The caption read: “Grandma says having a translator for a daughter-in-law is great. No one in the village will dare argue with me now.” I chuckled and liked the post, commenting: “Quite the spectacle.” My colleagues quickly flooded the comments section, even placing bets on whether I would explode this time. Rachel immediately called me, her voice cold as ice: “Jack Thompson, who told you to comment? Are you deliberately trying to embarrass Ryan in front of the team?” “He was being bullied in his hometown, what’s wrong with me showing some support? Someone like you, who’s been pampered all your life, wouldn’t understand how hard life can be for ordinary people.” “Delete that comment right now. I’ll make it up to you with another anniversary celebration in a few days.” I hung up with a bitter laugh, rubbing my aching stomach. In three days, the divorce cooling-off period would be over!

I asked the doctor to change my pain medication to an appendectomy. The doctor looked at me quizzically, “Why the sudden change of heart? Not going to be with your wife?” I smiled bitterly, “Because she just died.” The doctor froze for a moment, then gave me a strange, sympathetic look without saying anything more. As soon as I opened SnapChat, I saw Ryan tagging everyone in our work group: “Sorry for the misunderstanding, everyone. The post I shared earlier was just a joke. I hope you all don’t read too much into it.” This deliberate show-off of an apology made me want to vomit. Rachel immediately replied: “Ryan, you don’t need to apologize. It’s obviously a joke, and we’re not all so thin-skinned that we’d take it seriously.” As soon as our head translator spoke, those cunning colleagues who had been lurking suddenly chimed in: “Exactly! The office atmosphere is usually so dull, it’s refreshing to have some young blood cracking jokes.” “Rachel, your comeback was so sharp! That’s why you’re our boss!” “Ryan, looks like our only thin-skinned colleague hasn’t responded yet. Maybe you should message him privately to explain!” Watching my colleagues constantly sucking up and putting others down, I felt a mix of emotions. Half of these people were my former mentees. The more affectionately they used to call me “mentor,” the more cold-hearted they were now. What could I expect when Rachel was the head of the translation team and Ryan was her new favorite? To them, I was just a pushover who had cut ties with my parents for Rachel’s sake. I sighed deeply and exited SnapChat, not wanting to let them ruin my mood. But before I could put down my phone, Rachel called again. I answered impatiently, “What do you want?” She took a deep breath on the other end, seemingly suppressing her anger: “Jack Thompson, I need you to write a peace speech in English and Farsi right now. Ryan needs it for tomorrow! Make it easy to read, don’t use any complicated words, got it?” Her tone left no room for refusal, as if she were ordering a dog around. I instantly flared up. This trip to the Middle East wasn’t just about giving a peace speech; it also involved coordinating with humanitarian aid teams from multiple countries and communicating with locals. Ryan’s mediocre English skills were nowhere near sufficient for the job. But Ryan wanted this experience as a stepping stone for his career advancement, so he had begged Rachel to let him go. Rachel, completely focused on him, had assigned Ryan without any discussion. Now, with the departure date approaching and Ryan not even having prepared a speech, they were scrambling to have me clean up their mess. How shameless! So it wasn’t an emergency back home, but rather realizing his incompetence and potential exposure. Rachel took her little troublemaker to play the role of a grandson in the countryside, while leaving me here to write the speech. No way! “Hey, did you hear me? Send it to me for review first! If it’s good, I’ll pass it on to Ryan.” Rachel’s tone was impatient. I laughed coldly and refused outright: “I’m not writing someone else’s speech. If Ryan can’t write it himself, why don’t you help him? After all, you’ve been doing most of his work during his probation period. What’s wrong with helping him advance his career?” “Ms. Head Translator, if there’s nothing else, I’m hanging up.” Before I could end the call, Rachel’s furious voice nearly split my eardrum: “Don’t you dare hang up! Jack Thompson, have I been giving you too much face lately?”

“It’s me who’s been giving you too much face, or else how would you have the nerve to ask me to clean up after your little mistress!” I couldn’t be bothered to hold back anymore and lashed out at her. There was a moment of silence on the other end before she spoke again, suppressing her rage, “Jack Thompson, what’s wrong with you? You’re being so vulgar. Have all those years of education gone to waste? I told you I’d make it up to you when I get back, why are you still angry!” “If I don’t receive Ryan’s speech in my inbox by tonight, then let’s just call it quits!” I clenched my fists tightly, “Fine, let’s call it quits. Who wants to be with you anyway!” Before I could finish, I heard Ryan’s voice on the other end, “Rachel, Grandma’s calling you for dinner.” Rachel covered the mouthpiece, her voice suddenly as sweet as a well-mannered college student, “I’m just arranging some work, I’ll be right there.” Then she turned back to me, her voice cold enough to kill: “What did you just say?” I laughed: “Rachel Walker, listen carefully. I said if you enjoy being a lapdog so much, then keep at it. Don’t get cocky and provoke your grandma into teaching you a lesson!” Rachel barely contained her fury as she shouted: “Ryan was bullied in the village, and I, as his mentor, am just helping him save face. What’s wrong with that? Do you think everyone is as heartless as you?” “Jack Thompson, if you can’t even write this speech well, then you don’t need to stay in our team anymore!” She hung up abruptly after saying this. I sat at the cold entrance of the operating room, rubbing my stomach, feeling a surge of bitterness rising within me. My relationship with her was like this painfully inflamed appendix – it should have been cut out long ago. After the surgery, I went home and fell asleep alone. But early the next morning, I was woken by urgent knocking on my door. I opened it to find officers from the National Security Department. They said someone had reported me as a foreign spy and asked me to cooperate with their investigation. I felt a sudden sense of unreality and reflexively asked, “How could I possibly be a spy? I’m even a member of the counter-espionage team!” But they showed me the report directly. I immediately felt dizzy and followed them back to the office. As soon as I entered, I saw the disappointed look in my boss’s eyes, and my heart sank. The report mentioned several translation receptions that I had indeed led, and confidential information had been leaked afterward. It was hard not to suspect me. But when I saw the witness, everything became clear. The so-called witness was the meeting recorder, also Ryan’s most loyal lackey. Remembering how the two of them had acted separately from the team several times, I suspected they might be the real spies. I hurriedly tried to explain: “Officers, he can’t be a witness. Everyone knows he’s Ryan’s man, and Ryan has a grudge against me!” “Besides, during those translation receptions, I was with everyone the whole time and had no chance to leak information. But those two…” “Shut up, don’t embarrass our translation team!” Rachel angrily interrupted me. She took two big steps towards me, keeping a disdainful distance: “What grudge? I think you’re just randomly accusing people because you’ve done something wrong!” “Jack Thompson, I used to think you were just petty and lacked quality, but at least I didn’t think you’d betray the country. I never imagined you’d do something so inhumane!” “Do you know what the punishment is for falsely accusing a public official? I can’t believe you’ve become so depraved as to turn traitor. You’re not human, you scum! You don’t deserve to be my husband!” My throat felt like it was blocked by a red-hot iron, and I couldn’t utter a word. After a long while, I finally squeezed out a few hoarse words, “Rachel, in your heart, am I the kind of person who would betray my country out of jealousy?” I stared straight at her, but saw her gaze growing colder and colder, “You didn’t have a chance to leak information on the day of the reception, but you knew several people from the visiting delegation. Who knows what you might have said when you met them privately?” Rachel’s righteousness in condemning her husband led to my immediate suspension pending investigation. Suddenly, a family member of one of the victims picked up a chair and smashed it on my head, causing me to bleed profusely. “You beast! You traitor! It’s all your fault for leaking secrets that got my sister killed!” The man unleashed all his strength on me, beating me until I was nearly unconscious. He only stopped when he saw I was barely breathing. As I lay on the ground, I saw Ryan approach, looking down at me with glee. “Jack Thompson, of all things, why did you choose to be a traitor? Now you’re getting what you deserve.”

Seeing his smug, disgusting expression of getting what he wanted, I struggled through the pain to get up from the ground and sneered back: “You know exactly what you’ve done, Ryan Miller. Your retribution will come sooner or later!” A flash of wariness crossed Ryan’s eyes, but he quickly adopted a righteous tone, pointing at me accusingly, “Jack Thompson, don’t try to implicate others! I’m not like you. I would never betray my colleagues! Let alone become a traitor! You’ve disgraced our entire team, our whole country!” I laughed bitterly, too tired to argue with him, and slowly started to move away despite the pain. But Ryan wouldn’t let it go. He came forward and grabbed me, touching my wound and making me wince in pain. Before I could react, he suddenly fell on his butt and started wailing like a bad actor. Rachel, who had been keeping a straight face until now, instantly panicked. She took two big steps, pushing me aside, and anxiously helped Ryan up from the ground, gently patting his back and comforting him softly. Seeing he wasn’t hurt, Rachel glared at me angrily, “Well, Jack Thompson, your parents worked hard to put you through twenty years of school, and this is what you learned? Betraying your country and deliberately hurting people? Apologize to Ryan right now!” I laughed coldly, but before I could speak, Ryan whined pitifully, adding fuel to the fire, “I just wanted to see if Jack was being wrongly accused. He just misunderstood me, he didn’t mean to push me.” But Rachel’s face darkened, “There’s no misunderstanding. He’s getting what he deserves now!” I had no outlet for my anger, and all I could manage was a flat statement, “You know who really deserves punishment.” Rachel’s face, which I once loved to death, now seemed completely unfamiliar to me. Even if she saw through Ryan’s act, even if she was willing to let me bear the label of a traitor and ruin my life, Rachel still chose him without hesitation. I don’t have evidence now, but the truth will come out eventually. I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them anymore. Pressing the bleeding wound on my head, I hurried to leave. Staying with them for another second made me want to vomit. As I was leaving, Rachel called out, “Jack Thompson, you’re a suspect now. You’re not allowed to leave the city. Report your whereabouts to me every hour.” Without turning back, I walked out of that dark room, saying, “Fine, but you’d better keep a close eye on Ryan Miller. Otherwise, you might end up in jail or worse!” Thinking about Rachel’s gritting teeth, I felt a secret satisfaction. She had intended to pressure me into cleaning up after Ryan, but this time I didn’t give an inch. She had hit a wall. And this spy accusation was far more complicated than it appeared on the surface. After leaving the office, I contacted a real estate agent to list the house I had bought for our marriage. The agent said that houses in good school districts were in high demand, and she had a buyer willing to pay even more than my asking price. The price didn’t matter to me. What mattered was that anything associated with Rachel now felt like a thorn in my side. Then I drove straight to the civil affairs bureau and finally got the divorce certificate I had been longing for. This mutually torturous marriage was finally over!

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On my first day as a married woman, my mother-in-law asked me to make breakfast. When I refused, she called me immoral and disrespectful to elders. I slapped her twice. Ha! I’ve been the other woman for years. Did she really expect me to have any morals left? “Babe, I have to catch a flight today. I’m heading out now, you can sleep in a bit longer.” Lucas kissed my cheek lightly before getting out of bed. I nodded with my eyes closed, running my hand over the smooth silk sheets, feeling utterly blissful inside. After three years, I’d finally reached this day. I’d been Lucas’s secretary and secret lover for three years, going to great lengths to please him, sucking up to his mother, and playing with his son. At last, Lucas made up his mind to divorce Mandy and marry me. The luxurious Moore mansion, the title of Mrs. Moore, everything that belonged to Lucas – it was all mine now. I rolled around happily in bed, planning to sleep a bit more when suddenly there was urgent knocking on the door. “Rachel, Rachel, wake up!” I squinted at my phone. It was only 7 AM. Who the hell was bothering me this early? I angrily opened the door to find Lucas’s mother, Fiona, standing there with an apron, smiling broadly. “Rachel, Oliver wants bacon and eggs for breakfast. I’ll just have some beef dumplings and red bean porridge.” This early in the morning, and she was ordering breakfast? I barely managed to suppress my anger. “Well, I’ll have a sandwich and black coffee. Wake me up at 8:30 to eat, thanks.” I started to close the door, but Fiona’s expression changed. “Rachel, what are you doing? Aren’t you going to make breakfast?” I looked at her, bewildered. “Don’t we have a housekeeper? Why should I cook?” Fiona frowned and shoved the apron into my hands. “We don’t have a housekeeper. It wouldn’t be right to have a stranger in the house. Mandy used to make breakfast. Now that you’ve married into our family as our daughter-in-law, it’s naturally your job to cook breakfast from now on.” I was stunned. Then I remembered – in the Moore household, Mandy didn’t just make breakfast. She prepared all three meals every day. And she was an excellent cook. I’d often enjoyed her cooking when I was with Lucas.

Mandy and Lucas were college sweethearts who started a business together after graduation. Lucas worked himself to exhaustion trying to grow the company, entertaining clients and securing deals until his health suffered. Worried about him, Mandy quit her job to become a full-time housewife, taking care of all his needs from meals to laundry. Lucas had digestive issues, so Mandy would make him nutritious porridge every day. When Lucas had early meetings and couldn’t eat at home, she’d carefully pack breakfast for him to take to the office. Most of those breakfasts ended up in my stomach. I’d sit on Lucas’s lap, one arm around his neck, waiting happily for him to feed me spoonfuls of porridge. “Mmm, this yam and pork rib porridge is delicious. The yam is so flavorful and the meat is so tender.” Lucas would smile and pinch my cheek. “You little glutton with your refined palate. Of course it’s good – Mandy wakes up at 5 AM to start cooking it. “What do you want to eat tomorrow? I’ll tell her to make it.” I giggled, about to reply when the phone on his desk rang. Seeing the caller ID, Lucas frowned. I quickly picked up. “Hello, Mrs. Moore— “Yes, Mr. Moore has already eaten breakfast. He says your porridge is delicious. We’re all so envious—” As I spoke, I squirmed around on Lucas’s lap. From the other end of the line came the faint sound of Fiona’s harsh scolding. “Has Lucas eaten breakfast yet? You know he has an early meeting today. Why didn’t you wake him up earlier? “You get to enjoy yourself at home all day and you can’t even do this one simple thing properly! How can the porridge taste good if it’s cold? Lucas can’t eat anything cold with his stomach issues!” Mandy weakly tried to explain. “Mom, I put it in a thermos. It won’t get cold.” I hung up the phone and stuck my tongue out at Lucas. “Honey, your mom is so scary—” Lucas gripped my waist and snorted. “That’s just how she is with Mandy. Mandy’s a housewife with only these few tasks, so of course my mom is strict with her. “You’re different, baby. You graduated from a top university and you’re my right-hand woman at the company. My mom adores you. She’s always praising you at home, saying how beautiful and capable you are, that you’re a hundred times better than Mandy.” “Really?” I was overjoyed and kissed Lucas on the cheek. “If your mom likes me so much, when are you going to marry me?” Lucas’s eyes darkened as he narrowed them. “Soon— I just need to sort out the finances first. We can’t let Mandy take advantage.”

“Rachel, hurry up and make breakfast! If we’re late, Oliver will be late for school.” Fiona’s impatient urging interrupted my memories. I rolled my eyes and threw the apron on the floor. “I’m not cooking. Order takeout if you want to eat.” Fiona got agitated and grabbed my arm. “Mandy always cooked. Why won’t you?” “Are you crazy? Mandy this, Mandy that. Didn’t you say she was plain and embarrassing to be seen with? You praised me for being pretty and elegant. Come on, beauty takes work. Let me get my beauty sleep, okay?” I pushed her away and tried to close the door. Fiona got angry and jabbed her finger at my forehead. “What kind of daughter-in-law doesn’t make breakfast? It’s your first day here and you’re already trying to slack off. Not respecting your mother-in-law, not taking care of the child – do you have any morals at all?” Morals? What a joke. I was already pissed at being woken up so early. I slapped Fiona twice across the face. “Screw you, I’ve been the other woman for years. You think I have any morals left? “Keep bothering my sleep and I’ll beat you to death!” Fiona fell to the ground, stunned by my slaps. She stared at me in disbelief for a moment before reacting. With a shriek, she leapt up and charged at me, headbutting my stomach. “How dare you! You vixen, you dare hit your mother-in-law! You ungrateful wretch!” I immediately grabbed her hair with both hands and yanked hard. Fiona howled in pain. To maintain my figure, I spent at least an hour weightlifting at the gym every day. I may look slim, but I’m quite strong. “You talk about manners? You old hag, at the wedding you said you’d treat me like your own daughter. It’s only the first day and you’re already trying to bully me. Is this how you treat your own child?” With her hair in my grip, Fiona tried to scratch my face. I kicked her hard in the stomach. Fiona stumbled back several steps before falling flat on her back. She pounded the floor, wailing. “Murder! This vixen Rachel is trying to kill me!” The door across the hall opened. Ten-year-old Oliver rubbed his eyes, looking at us in shock. “Mom Rachel, why are you fighting?”

I quickly made up an excuse. “I wanted to order you KFC for breakfast, but your grandma wouldn’t let me. She even hit me.” Sure enough, Oliver’s expression immediately changed. He glared fiercely at Fiona. “I want KFC! Grandma, why won’t you let me have KFC!” When I first tried to win Oliver over, I thought it would be difficult. But it turned out to be much easier than I expected. Oliver had already been spoiled rotten by his grandmother. He would often badmouth Mandy in front of me. “My mom is so stupid. My dad has taken care of her for so many years, but she can’t do anything right. And she doesn’t even wear makeup – she’s so ugly. Rachel, I wish you could be my new mom. “Next time there’s a parent-teacher meeting, can you come instead of my mom? You’re young and pretty. All my classmates would be so jealous.” I took him out for KFC a few times and skipped school to go to the amusement park, and I had him wrapped around my finger. “My mom says fries and fried chicken are junk food and won’t let me eat them. Grandma is better, she lets me eat them sometimes. But you’re the best, Rachel. You even let me have ice cream.” Oliver clung affectionately to my arm. “When you become my mom, can I come to the amusement park every day instead of doing homework?” “Of course, sweetie. You can do whatever you want, and I’ll support you all the way.” As if I cared whether this brat did his homework or ate junk food. He wasn’t my kid after all. So on the day Mandy and Lucas divorced, when Mandy cried and tried to take Oliver with her, he rudely pushed her away. “You can’t even make money. Am I supposed to go begging with you? “Just leave. I’ll have a new mom soon, and she’s pretty and young – a hundred times better than you.” Mandy left with a look of utter disappointment. What a fool. She’d slaved away for the Moore family for over a decade and was leaving with nothing. I wasn’t about to end up like her. Seeing that his grandson only cared about KFC and didn’t react at all to seeing his grandmother beaten, Fiona burst into tears. “You ungrateful brat! Grandma’s love for you all these years was wasted!” As she cried, she took out her phone to call Lucas. “Son— come back quickly— your mother is about to be beaten to death. Oh, my son—” From the other end came Lucas’s impatient voice. “What’s all this fuss so early in the morning? I’m just downstairs, I forgot my passport. Whatever it is, come down and tell me.”

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**1.** Seven days left. The scene was terrifyingly clear: a blood-splattered zombie lunged at me, its pale, decaying face looming larger and larger. I didn’t even know where it bit me before I blacked out. Now, I was waking up, it was evening. After college, I chose to be a streamer. I’d gotten into the habit of sleeping in the afternoon and starting my stream once I woke up. I wasn’t sure if the previous image was just a dream, but one detail stuck with me vividly. If this was a second chance, then tonight, one of my favorite celebrities was about to have their world come crashing down. The only reason I remembered it so clearly was because I used to be a huge fan of this particular star. My childhood crush was just too perfect, leaving a deep impression. Sure enough, at 9 PM, a trending topic suddenly exploded: “Jax’s secret baby bombshell.” It was a rebirth! Seven days from now, a global catastrophe would erupt – the zombie virus. At first, it only appeared in a few coastal cities, quickly debunked by officials. I never paid attention to such unsubstantiated rumors. I just went with the flow online, yelling a few times about “believing in science,” then ignored it. Just three days. Only three days. The zombie virus spun out of control. Initially, the government still used drones to announce they wouldn’t abandon anyone. Days later, even the drones vanished without a trace. In my previous life, I survived for a month and a half purely on the snacks I’d hoarded. Once they ran out, I had no choice but to venture out for supplies. I hadn’t even made it out of my apartment complex before a zombie tackled me to the ground. It was truly horrifying. The signal went out too fast in my last life. What I regretted most was dying without knowing if my parents were safe. Thinking of this, I immediately called them. “Hey, Mom, Dad. It’s been snowing a lot in Silverwood City lately. Could you come visit? I’m craving Mom’s homemade lasagna, could you come help me make some?” My parents were those caring parents who always grumbled about how useless I was, still unable to make lasagna at my age, even as they promised they’d be right over tomorrow. Thankfully, they lived in the neighboring town of Maple Creek, so it wouldn’t take too long to get here. The sooner I got them close, the sooner I’d feel at ease. After retiring from their teaching jobs, they’d been enjoying retirement at home. I’d tried countless times to get them to move in with me, but they always felt they’d be a burden, stubbornly refusing. They’d visit every month or so, always bringing a carload of food. This thought made me frantically SnapChat my dad: “Dad!!!! Don’t forget my cured sausages!!!!” Cured sausages last forever, even without a fridge. In my last life, the power went out on either the third or fourth day of the apocalypse. I frantically scribbled notes about the power issue on a piece of paper. My paper was already filled with notes. Since finishing my college thesis, I hadn’t used this much brainpower. Honestly, my thesis wasn’t even this exhausting, because this was literally a matter of life or death. It had been so long since I really thought. Even after my nap, I was still incredibly sleepy. I tucked the paper under my pillow, thinking about the tough fight ahead tomorrow, and drifted into a deep sleep. **2.** First, I needed to reinforce the doors and windows. My apartment was on the twenty-first floor. I bought this top-floor unit after college with my streaming income. To be honest, I was broke and didn’t want to ask my parents for money again, so I chose a place far from the city center. Who would’ve thought that when the apocalypse hit, this complex would actually be safer? There weren’t many supermarkets nearby, but luckily, there was a Costco warehouse store. With that thought, I immediately called an installation company to have technicians come and reinforce my doors and windows. “Miss, your door is sturdy enough already. It’s like a fortified steel door, like something out of a bank vault. No need to reinforce it.” “My dad insisted on replacing this door for me. He always said a girl living alone wasn’t safe. If it were up to me, I wouldn’t like such a heavy door, but I couldn’t win against my dad back then.” I then had the technicians replace all the glass in the apartment with the highest-grade bulletproof glass, and also add a one-way film. It was supposed to take three days to complete, but I just slipped them an extra ten thousand dollars. The technicians’ eyes practically disappeared into smiles. “Can you guys try to finish this afternoon? My mom’s coming over, and she’s incredibly security-conscious, always worrying about worst-case scenarios.” Perhaps seeing that I was someone who wasn’t afraid to spend, one of the technicians even asked if I wanted security bars installed. “Install them!” I couldn’t drive, which posed a huge problem for getting supplies. My dad forced me to learn in college. At first, I was enthusiastic, until my driving instructor almost broke my spirit, and I failed the road test five times in a row. I finally gave up. To keep my dad from yelling at me, I even tried to brainwash him: “Don’t worry, self-driving cars will be the norm soon anyway!” I first took a taxi to Costco. On the way, I used my banking apps to check how much money I had. My streaming career had been pretty lucrative over the years. All in all, I still had over seven hundred thousand dollars. I’d tell my parents when they got here. With their savings, we’d probably have over a million and a half. **3.** I needed to buy so many things, and I didn’t dare choose home delivery. In the apocalypse, people were the scariest things. I headed straight for the shelf-stable food section. Normally, I could order these online and have them delivered in batches to different locations, but the problem was that Silverwood City had been hit by a continuous health advisory this year. There were still two active lockdown zones, so deliveries couldn’t get in. I cleared out the entire shelf of ready-to-eat meals: about 150 shelf-stable meal kits, 100 ready-to-eat meals, and over fifty dehydrated soup pouches and instant noodle cups. Fortunately, Costco’s shopping carts were huge; I pushed two. While waiting in line to pay, I got a call from my dad. Don’t let his age fool you; my dad had a commercial driver’s license (CDL). I just made up an excuse and called him over. “Dad, can you rent a cargo van and come to Costco? Yeah, yeah, I’m a streamer, remember? I’m planning a big giveaway.” The installation workers sent a message saying the bulletproof glass was replaced. Without a second thought, I paid them and added, “The local health situation is getting tricky again, guys. Buy more food to keep at home.” My dad would be here soon, which meant I could buy even more things. So, I immediately left my unpaid items with a store associate, asking them to watch it, and then pushed a shopping cart to start a new round of purchases: 10 cases of yogurt, 12 bottles per case 15 cases of sparkling water, 12 bottles per case 20 cases of instant noodles, 24 packs per case 50 high-capacity power banks 50 cases of bottled water, 12 bottles per case 15 cases of spicy ramen packs, 12 packs per case 10 bags of flour, 20 kilograms per bag 10 bags of rice, 20 kilograms per bag 100 boxes of potato chips, 20 cases of pull-apart bread, 50 bags of soy milk powder, 50 bags of black sesame paste Thinking I’d set up solar panels in the afternoon, I also bought 50 pounds of pork, 50 pounds of beef, and 50 pounds of lamb. My home fridge was too small; I’d need to buy two large chest freezers. These things definitely weren’t enough. Even though Costco was a warehouse store, I couldn’t buy too much from just one place. I’d need to visit several stores. Just as I finished paying, Dad arrived in a large cargo van. Seeing the supermarket staff loading items into the truck, my dad joked, “Sweetie, are you going all out? How much are you planning to give away?” As soon as I got in the car, I noticed my old man had turned serious. “Avery, what’s really going on? The house glass has been replaced, you’ve bought so much stuff, and you’re rushing your mom and me over.” I had thought about this question last night, and coming up with excuses had given me a headache. I also knew I couldn’t hide it from them, so I decided to tell them the truth. My parents were older and had lived through tough times. Perhaps because they’d been high school teachers, constantly interacting with kids from the new era, their acceptance of new things was sometimes even stronger than mine. When I told them I died in my apartment complex in my previous life, my dad’s eyes reddened. Perhaps death felt far away, but parents always empathize with your suffering. “Just reinforcing the doors and windows isn’t enough. We need to make it soundproof. What if someone hears something and tries to break in?” My dad was a whirlwind of action. As he spoke to me, he called my mom. Just like that, the worry that had kept me awake all night about an excuse was resolved. There was still a third of the cargo van’s space left. We followed the navigation straight to the farmer’s market and bought a huge haul there too: 10 bags of potatoes × 150kg 10 bags of cabbage × 150kg 10 cases of apples × 20kg 10 cases of oranges × 20kg I remembered reading zombie apocalypse hoarding stories in college where the protagonists raised chickens. I quickly mentioned this idea to my dad. “No, chickens make noise.” My gaze shifted, and I saw fish. I clapped my hands. “We’ll raise fish!” Today was Wednesday. Most people in the complex were at work, and since the location was a bit remote, the occupancy rate wasn’t high. Our family of three moving supplies up to our small attic, trip after trip, didn’t attract any attention. My mom, a biology teacher, looked at the existing supplies and suggested we buy some seeds. We still lacked too many things. We left my mom to organize at home, and my dad and I rushed out again. We headed straight for another Sam’s Club in Silverwood City. This time, with my dad’s decades of experience, buying things was much more organized: 20 bags of rice × 20kg 20 bags of flour × 20kg 50 cases of canned fruit, 20 cans per case 30 cases each of various canned meats, 20 cans per case 50 packs of dried noodles 50 cases of bottled water, 12 bottles per case 15 cases of bread 50 packs of instant rice noodles 15 cases of spicy ramen packs, 12 packs per case 20 buckets of soybean oil × 20kg 20 bottles of dish soap × 2L 20 packs of toilet paper × 12 rolls 30 bottles of body wash × 700ml 50 bottles of laundry detergent × 2L (might not use this much, as water would become a luxury later, but my mom had a slight obsession with cleanliness. If push came to shove, we could purify rainwater. Silverwood City, though in the north, was quite rainy, like a traitor to its northern location.) 50 toothbrushes 50 tubes of toothpaste 20 bars of soap (only my dad used these) 50 bottles of shampoo × 600ml (a little from each brand) 20 boxes of egg yolk pastries, 6 per box 50 bags of ham sausage I cleared out the entire shelf of sanitary pads. Looking at the quantity, it should last me until menopause, no matter what. This Sam’s Club was far from home, and since I worked as a streamer, hardly anyone in Silverwood City recognized me, so I shopped freely. Remembering that the power would go out soon after the zombie outbreak, and natural gas would also be gone, my lazy self quickly told my dad to install solar panels. As a former high school physics teacher, this small problem was no challenge for him. If natural gas was gone, our stove wouldn’t work. Thinking of this, I hurriedly bought 5 air fryers, 5 small pans for cooking, 5 rice cookers, and 2 induction cooktops for hot pot. At the checkout, my dad’s acting skills kicked in. “Avery, your boss is really something. Donating to charity is one thing, but why decide to donate supplies? And then make a young woman like you come buy it all!” We had bought so much, the cashier’s eyes were practically slits from smiling. “It must be for the lockdown zones. Companies come here to buy things like this quite often these past few years.” After the staff loaded everything onto the cargo van, my dad and I headed straight to the mall. My mom had reminded me about this. If zombies could break out, who knew if the weather would turn abnormal? Even though Silverwood City was in the north, what if we encountered extreme weather? 5 sets of summer pajamas per person, 5 sets of winter pajamas per person, 10 sets of loungewear 10 pairs of summer slippers per person, 10 pairs of winter slippers per person. 7 pairs of sneakers per person. 15 thick blankets, 15 thin blankets 20 sets of bed linens 8 down jackets per person, 10 sweaters, countless summer clothes 500 sets of disposable underwear When we got home, we found the soundproofing already underway. Perhaps because my mom paid generously, there were eight or nine technicians in our thousand-square-foot apartment. When no one was paying attention, I asked my mom where she put the supplies. “On the rooftop.” This was an unspoken agreement among the complex residents: the rooftop always belonged to the top floor. When I bought this apartment, I had visited the rooftop. Because the building was so tall, the rooftop railing was a good five feet, three inches high, and this building was the tallest in the vicinity. If you bent down, you wouldn’t be seen from below. Luckily, I had my parents; I honestly hadn’t thought about soundproofing or anything like that. With money paid, the work naturally sped up. It was finished by around 8 PM. After seeing off the installation technicians, our family moved everything from the rooftop to the attic, and then brought up the rest of the supplies from the truck. “We still need to buy some medicine. And some multivitamins. Water isn’t enough either. Here, Avery, tomorrow you and your dad go buy water. Visit several stores, buying a little from each. I’ll go buy seeds and soil tomorrow. I’m just worried no pharmacy will dare sell antibiotics because of the health advisory.” I paused for a moment. Medicine might actually not be an issue. I rushed into the room and brought out two large medicine chests. “Oh, Mom, you forgot! You and Dad always bring me so many medicines when you visit, and they’re all recently dated. The last time was about ten days ago…” Seeing the two overflowing medicine chests, our family finally felt relieved. “Even though your dad and I don’t have high blood pressure or anything, it’s always good to have some just in case.” My dad and I were busy moving supplies from the rooftop. We were truly exhausted today. My mom just boiled some noodles for a quick dinner. The next morning, we just had some milk powder and bread before heading out again. **4.** Six days left. “Dad! Don’t forget the solar panels and the large chest freezers. The freezers can go in the study. There should be enough space for two large ones.” No sooner said than done, we headed straight to the mall to buy two large chest freezers. Good thing it was cold now, otherwise the meat we bought yesterday would have spoiled. We also bought several sets of solar power systems. No particular reason, just in case one broke. My dad said he could fix them, but what if? While buying the solar systems, we also popped into the neighboring store and bought several thick blackout curtains. There was still space left in the cargo van, so I took my dad straight to buy water: 10 large water jugs × 19L 10 packs of bottled water × 12 bottles Then we went to pick up what my mom had bought: 50 packs of various seeds (including easy-to-grow vegetables and fruits like cabbage, bok choy, potatoes, tomatoes, and cucumbers.) 10 bags of unhulled wheat × 30kg (These have a long shelf life; we can grind them by hand if needed.) 50kg chicken breast 20kg chicken wings 20kg chicken feet 20kg beef These items filled the cargo van. On the way back, we stopped at pharmacies to buy medicines that didn’t take up much space: vitamins, blood pressure medication, etc., buying small amounts from multiple stores. We also bought 20 tubes of anti-itch cream, 10 tubes of corticosteroid cream, and 20 bottles of Vitamin E lotion. The whole morning passed like this. Thankfully, the elevator was spacious enough for the freezers. We moved things up trip after trip. After a quick lunch, my mom, whose stamina couldn’t keep up, stayed behind to organize. My dad and I continued shopping, this time heading straight for larger supermarkets like Auchan: 70 bags of salt 10 cases of soy sauce × 12 bottles 5 cases of vinegar × 12 bottles 3 cases of oyster sauce × 12 bottles 20 packs of paper towels × 12 rolls 20 packs of facial tissues × 12 packs We also bought soybeans. If soy sauce ran out later, we could brew our own. My mom used to do it when she wasn’t so busy, back when I was a kid. At this point, all the shopping coupons from three supermarkets—Dafasco, Yonghui, and Yaohan—were used up. “Heh heh, I had no idea I’d accumulated so many coupons.” **5.** Five days left. Today’s task was much easier. So far, the only thing we were short on was water. We needed to buy water in multiple trips. Oh, right, and we needed to buy some self-defense tools. To be fully prepared, we drove the cargo van and bought another 50 large jugs of water, 19L each. I also bought several kitchen knives and a few small knives for defense. Passing by a gym, I had a sudden idea to buy a treadmill for home. I could run on it every day; otherwise, my physical fitness wouldn’t keep up. Even though we had tried to make every possible preparation, what if? Thinking of this, I went to a car dealership and looked at an RV. The salesperson raved about it, saying it was bulletproof, had a high chassis, and was super safe. Last night, at dinner, I mentioned that if things got really bad, we’d have to leave, so a car with high safety ratings was essential. I went with the salesperson to complete the paperwork and arranged to pick up the RV in three days. When I got home, I found my mom had bought a lot of lemons. These last a long time if refrigerated. This would be our vitamin supplement for when the apples and oranges ran out and the tomatoes weren’t ripe yet. Four days left, my dad dragged my mom out to stock up on even more supplies. I don’t know how my dad managed it, but he even brought back several barrels of gasoline. “We’ll put it in the RV when it arrives. If things get bad, we’ll leave.” For the next few days, I tried my best to go live every day, reminding everyone to stock up on supplies. Forgive me for not being able to say more; I was too insignificant. I just wanted my family to be safe. I truly couldn’t be a savior. When we got home, my mom went to organize supplies as usual, and my dad continued working on the composting toilet on the rooftop. Our apartment, aside from paths for walking and sleeping, was completely filled with supplies. My grandparents passed away early, and my parents didn’t have other siblings, so that was one less thing to worry about. But my mom had many colleagues. She subtly hinted to a few close ones to buy more things for home, using the old line about the health advisory getting serious again, better safe than sorry. My mom had been strict all her life, so her words carried a lot of credibility. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to be direct, but this whole thing was just so unscientific. If not for their blind trust in me, my family would never have believed it. My parents lived in a faculty apartment complex bought by their high school. It was crowded, in a busy downtown area, and an older complex, so the safety factor wasn’t good. That’s why we decided to stay in Silverwood City. Of course, that’s what I told them when explaining why they should come over. All in all, we bought 200 large water jugs of drinking water. Besides various bottled waters and drinks, we also bought several large water collection systems, and plenty of water purification tablets. Water wouldn’t be an issue. A few days ago, my dad had already connected the solar panels. After testing them and confirming they worked, he connected the fridge and the two large chest freezers to them. The garbage problem was tricky. I heard the unit next door was empty, so I simply rented it out specifically for garbage storage. We had to handle sanitation properly. With just one day left, the internet, just like in my previous life, reported malicious attacks in coastal areas. Our family exchanged glances. My dad took out the heavy-duty locks he bought from the hardware store and locked the stairwell from the 19th to the 21st floors. After observing for days, these floors seemed to be empty. “Dad! Mom! We’re going to be okay!” **6.** The zombie outbreak. Ever since it hit Ins, we’d set up a watch schedule at home. Mainly because I’d forgotten exactly when the zombies appeared in Silverwood City. While we still had internet, the three of us quickly got our phones, iPads, and whatever else we had to download variety shows and TV series. My mom even bought a stack of books, saying learning never stopped as long as there was life. Whether we’d actually study, I didn’t know, but I figured that pile of books would hurt if you threw it at someone. It was my turn to watch tonight. I was watching an old TV show while looking out the window. With my extensive experience from my previous life, I knew these zombies were especially sensitive to light. So, at night, we no longer turned on any lights. This trick not only protected us from zombies but also from other people. Suddenly, I saw the security guard at the complex entrance stumbling towards us, followed by two blood-covered “people.” The guard was running and screaming for help. It was too late, after 2 AM. Besides me, no one else was likely awake. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to help, but there was truly no point. My eyesight was always good, and the complex had streetlights, so I could vaguely make out the blood-splattered arm of the guard. It took less than two minutes, and the guard stopped screaming for help, instead stumbling around like a headless chicken. I dialed 911, reporting the situation in the complex, while also rushing back inside to wake up my parents. My dad was okay; he adapted quickly to new things. My mom, however, wasn’t. It took a fright before she spoke: “Will these things turn into people?” I didn’t need to answer; I believed my parents already knew the answer. My dad, seeing my mom was scared, put an arm around her shoulder and comforted her, “What’s there to be afraid of! We’re all together! Even if the sky falls, I’ll protect you two.” This commotion probably meant no one was getting back to sleep, so we decided to hold a family meeting and discuss everything. “To kill them with one blow, you have to hit their heads. Hitting other places is useless. They don’t feel pain anymore.” “Don’t worry,” my dad said. “Your mom and I already know all about this from watching *The Walking Dead* the other day.” Seeing my parents calm down, I took a deep breath and said one last thing: “Dad, Mom. There’s one thing I have to say. In the apocalypse, the scariest thing is human nature. We can only ensure our own safety; we can’t be saviors! I know you’ve been teachers your whole lives, but this is the apocalypse! You have to protect yourselves!” Thankfully, my parents weren’t the type to be overly compassionate. They exchanged glances and slowly but firmly nodded. “Don’t worry, we understand. As long as our family is safe.” **7.** Day one of the zombie outbreak. I stayed on watch until 6 AM. Unable to sleep, I decided to wait until my mom made breakfast before going to bed. Around 7:50 AM, people started leaving for work. My heart sank, and I saw a man from the building across the street exit, briefcase in hand. Perhaps it was a common ailment of modern young people, but he was walking and looking at his phone, completely oblivious to a “person” lunging at him from behind, biting his arm and refusing to let go. “Damn it, are you crazy?!” With his shout, another zombie rushed over. The man finally realized something was wrong, running back towards his building and yelling for help. An old man, out for his morning walk, suddenly stepped forward and knocked both zombies down. Before he could say anything, the man who had just been bitten tackled him to the ground. “Get off me! Get off!” I couldn’t bear to watch the scene below. Many people were leaving for work in the morning, which meant there would undoubtedly be many casualties. The complex residents finally realized something was wrong, and no one else came out. Sleepiness washed over me. I gave my parents a few instructions and then went back to my room to sleep. When I woke up at noon, my mom had already prepared lunch. Now that the zombies had just broken out, electricity and water were still stable, but we’d agreed last night that we shouldn’t use the range hood. The range hood was noisy. Zombies were one thing; they were mindless. But we were afraid of attracting other survivors. With our family’s physical condition, we’d be easy pickings. It was okay if our quality of life was lower. With our amount of stored supplies, we could definitely wait for rescue. If supplies ran out and rescue still hadn’t come, then we wouldn’t survive anyway. One difference from my last life was that we still had a signal this time. The complex residents’ SnapChat group was tallying the number of survivors in each household. Since the outbreak had just begun, some people still fantasized that order hadn’t completely broken down. My dad and I discussed it. “Let’s not report our numbers. We have enough supplies anyway. And we’re a small group. What if someone comes to raid us?” I agreed wholeheartedly. While I was washing my face, my mom served lunch, saying, “I saw in the group chat this morning, everyone’s doing pretty well.” The group she mentioned was her old colleagues. My mom had subtly hinted to them, and they had all stored some supplies. Lunch was stir-fried cabbage and tomato beef. After eating, we each got an orange. “After lunch, I’ll stand watch. Avery and your dad can take turns on the treadmill.” Just then, my phone suddenly rang. It was a FaceTime call, and the ringtone was extremely loud. I quickly lowered the volume and switched to voice mode. It was one of the complex’s property management staff. “Hello, resident, are you home? We’re counting survivors. Why haven’t we seen your reply?” My family exchanged glances. “Oh, I’m not home. I’m back in my hometown.” “Okay, okay then.” After hanging up, we looked at each other. “What do you think he meant by making a video call?” My dad reacted quickly. “I remember now, a few days ago, your mom and I were driving the RV to buy stuff, and we ran into someone on the way back who asked us why we were buying so much!” This could be a big deal or a small one. The three of us immediately put down our bowls. “Even though I got the other elevator card a few days ago, using the excuse that I lost mine, what if?” This complex had two units per floor, and you couldn’t get up without an elevator card. “Avery, do you remember when the power went out?” “Probably in two or three more days.” “Crap.” My dad went out first, stopped the elevator on the twenty-first floor, and then cut its power. “Even though this isn’t humane, there’s no other way! As long as our family can be safe!” To be honest, we didn’t know how many families lived in this building. Not stopping the elevator before was a consideration for other people’s escape. “Actually, this is better. The stairs are safer. The elevator would be a disaster if something went wrong.” We could only comfort ourselves this way. I wasn’t a saint. I wouldn’t put myself in danger to let others escape. But I still felt inexplicably uncomfortable. “Avery, don’t think about it. Your dad and I checked before. Even though the elevator goes straight to the underground parking, the elevator shaft is pitch black, making it far more dangerous. Taking the stairs, whether up or down, offers a higher chance of escape.” We could only comfort ourselves like this. After dinner, my dad grabbed the watering can and went to water the seeds in the foam boxes. Since it was daytime, a tiny corner of the thick blackout curtains on the balcony was opened, just enough for sunlight to spill in. Before he finished watering, we saw a drone flying in the distance. Along with the drone came an automatically playing broadcast. “Dear residents, we are facing an unprecedented disaster. Please stay home and await government rescue. Please trust us, we will not abandon anyone.” Honestly, I was really curious why I never saw rescue in my last life, even when I died. I was too ordinary, too insignificant, and too selfish. Even with a second chance, I only wanted my family to live well. After watering, I started watching the self-defense videos I downloaded a few days ago. The complex’s loudspeaker suddenly blared. “Attention, residents! Let us believe there will be hope!” Instantly, zombies from all directions began to scurry like headless chickens, searching for the source of the sound. The complex’s loudspeakers were installed at the entrance of each building. I couldn’t really understand why, in the 21st century, when everything could be solved by phone, they needed these loudspeakers. As the loudspeaker blared, the zombies near our building immediately swarmed around. I couldn’t help but curse them as idiots in my mind. “Avery, will they come up?” I didn’t remember this part. In my last life, I was alone and so scared during the day that I’d just drift into a daze. “Mom, don’t worry. We’re on the twenty-first floor. We’ll be fine.” I said that, but I wasn’t so sure myself. Luckily, it was just a false alarm. The loudspeaker fell silent, and the zombies went back to wandering aimlessly. My sharp eyes spotted the man who had gone to work this morning with a briefcase. His arm was covered in blood, and he was stumbling around. He was still wearing his suit, looking like an executive. What a waste. **8.** Day three of the apocalypse. Still just the daily drone broadcasts telling everyone to stay home and not give up, with rescue nowhere in sight. Most of the young people living in this area worked at a large tech campus nearby. Young people, you know, not many have the habit of hoarding food. In my last life, if it weren’t for all the snacks I hoarded during Black Friday sales, plus the freebies from manufacturers, I wouldn’t have survived even a month. In the morning, when Dad was on watch, he saw a man and a woman emerge from the building across the street. They were completely bundled up, moving cautiously. Around the thirteenth floor, a window opened, and two heads, an old man and a boy, popped out. The boy, about twelve or thirteen, was holding a drone. A phone was attached to the drone’s tail. Seeing the man and woman go down, he quickly launched the drone and flew it in the opposite direction. Not everyone parked their cars in the underground garage; some were parked along the road in the complex. The drone flying in the opposite direction suddenly made a loud noise, loud enough to attract all the zombies. The man and woman seized the opportunity to get into their car, an SUV. I remembered this couple vividly. They were the first to go out for supplies and return safely, bringing back a significant amount. Anyway, I remembered that in my last life, this family didn’t venture out again before I died. Sure enough, about an hour and a half later, the couple drove back. The little boy kept staring at the complex entrance. When he saw his family’s car, he quickly launched the drone in the opposite direction again. The couple had quite a haul. The trunk and back seats were packed, probably every inch of space except for where people sat was full. Just like in my last life, after they took their supplies upstairs, they turned back. I knew they were going to look for solar panels, and they’d come back with two cars. In every way, this couple’s courage was admirable. Soon, as residents ran out of supplies, everyone would have to go out looking for more. The number of zombies would increase, and searching for supplies would become even harder. Around 2 PM, the couple returned with two vehicles. The man was driving a cargo van, and the woman was in their SUV. The nearby zombies had already been led away by the little boy. The couple quickly moved the goods upstairs. The cargo van was entirely filled with water and rice. This life, I lived in relative comfort, allowing me to observe more closely what the couple brought back. Solar panels, various canned goods, rice, flour, oil, daily necessities. I even spotted seeds and soil. Oh, and they brought back a huge bag of potatoes. Potatoes were easy to grow and could become a staple food later on. The woman opened the passenger door, revealing a huge bag of medicine inside. Even though I knew they got home safely in my last life, I still breathed a sigh of relief. The couple must have reached home safely; the little boy reeled in the drone and closed the window. This couple sent a signal to the outside world: hurry and go out to find supplies, while there weren’t so many zombies, while there were still supplies outside. My mom stopped watching TV, focusing intently on that family. Seeing them arrive home safely, she breathed a sigh of relief. “They’re really brave, aren’t they?” “They’ll be even braver tonight. That couple will go out again. If I remember correctly, they might clear out the entire Costco.” Around 11 PM, it was my turn to stand watch. I saw the couple who had just returned in the afternoon leave again. The little boy operated the drone, flying it far away, even attaching a small light to it, putting all his effort into protecting his parents. To be honest, while I didn’t know what the outside world looked like right now, judging by this couple’s two safe returns, their fighting prowess wasn’t weak. Sure enough, this time they brought back two large cargo vans, two truckloads of supplies in one go. The last time, the couple drove the cargo vans back and returned in their own SUV, finishing up all the hauling by almost 5 AM. Generally, families with elders and children would have the highest level of security for their doors and windows. So, this family might be able to live comfortably until the very end. My mom had been a high school teacher for many years, even serving as a head of department for a long time. Her biological clock woke her up before 6 AM every morning. I told her about what happened, and she sighed, “Everyone’s struggling.” **9.** Day four of the apocalypse, water and electricity were cut off. At first, only the water stopped. I was preparing to cook, and when I tried to add a spoonful of water, the faucet wouldn’t run. My dad, who was brushing his teeth, still had a mouthful of foam. Then the electricity went out. My dad watched the TV and sighed. This would make life even harder for ordinary residents. Even if someone wanted to go out for supplies, most residential buildings were seventeen or eighteen stories high. Modern young people generally lacked physical exercise, so carrying things up floor by floor might kill them. And that was the best-case scenario. What if there were zombies on one of the floors? When I woke up in the afternoon, I found the internet was also cut off. The complex residents’ SnapChat group messages stopped this morning, still saying, “Please wait for rescue.” This had little impact on our family. My dad, the old man, was still happily watching TV, emphasizing to my mom, “This martial arts master’s last name is Miller, just like ours. Maybe we were family five hundred years ago!”

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During a live stream, someone sent me a hundred expensive gifts. Their only request was to watch me eat in person. When they arrived, I realized they weren’t alone. There was also a handsome guy with a pale face and an extremely thin build. The beautiful lady took out a thick red envelope. “If you can get him to take just one bite, this $1,500 is yours.” I didn’t know severe anorexia existed in this world. I methodically ate all the food on the table. Finally, I licked my lips and looked longingly at the steak in front of him. “I… I’m still hungry. If you’re not going to eat it, can I have it…?” His pupils trembled, and his bony hand pressed down on the plate. He even picked up the bowl and took a few sips of mushroom soup. The lady beside him watched with tears in her eyes. But I only stared at his unfinished bowl. “Um, are you not going to finish that? Can I drink it?” He looked at the table full of empty dishes. Silently, he moved a little to the side. The beautiful lady tried to help me out, “Bella, are you still hungry?” I scratched my head and nodded sheepishly. “Well, the portions here are a bit small. Each plate only has this much.” She looked at the dozen or so empty plates on the table and quietly ordered another table full of food. My eyes lit up. This place is so delicious, the mushroom soup is to die for. Soon I finished everything again. The handsome guy saw me constantly eyeing his bowl with desire. He couldn’t help but take a few more sips. I wiped my mouth and started eating the fruit platter. Zach finally couldn’t help but ask. “You can still eat fruit?” I looked at him curiously. “Fruit is so delicious, why wouldn’t I be able to eat it?” He reached out and put a slice of honeydew in his mouth. I felt a pang of regret in my eyes. Unconsciously, I pulled the fruit platter closer to myself. The beautiful lady’s eyes were full of excitement. She grabbed my hand. “Bella, I’m begging you, please eat with my son every day.” “Oh, don’t worry, I’ll cover all the food expenses. You just need to be there.” “$15,000, how about $15,000 a month?” It turned out the handsome guy had anorexia, and it was so severe he needed IV fluids. I looked at her in surprise. Was there really such a good job? Seeing I didn’t respond, she said, “Is that too little? $30,000 then.” Zach suddenly let out a light snort. “Mom, let’s go. If we don’t leave soon, she’ll have nowhere to purge!” I stared at him blankly. You can insult my character, But don’t insult my eating habits. If there weren’t four eyes watching me, I’d be a bit embarrassed. I could still eat another table full. Food is so precious, I never waste it.

Don’t be fooled by my ordinary appearance as a small-time mukbang streamer. But I never purge. “Eat More Today” is my online username. My real name is Bella Tang. But I’ve never felt full since I was little. So be careful when choosing names, okay? It’s not that my family was poor. They say I cried day and night when I was a newborn. My mom almost went crazy. Until my grandma came to visit and made me a full bottle of milk. I only stopped crying after drinking it all. My mom was puzzled why my formula intake was over ten times the feeding guidelines. It’s like I was literally starving for a month. They say my first word was “eat food”. My mom always says, There’s nothing in the house I haven’t tried to chew on, except the toilet. Everyone in the family eats from bowls. But I use a pot. Because it’s too tiring to keep going back for more food each meal. All the buffet restaurants in my hometown have circulated my photo to their staff. As soon as I show up, they pay me to go eat at their competitors! My parents even took me to the hospital, but the doctor said I was very healthy. He said some people are just born with big appetites and good digestion. During my teenage years, I tried to eat less like other girls. But by afternoon, I would feel dizzy. By the next meal, I couldn’t pretend anymore. The bowls of rice I ate could stack up half a meter high. My classmates were stunned by how much I could eat. They said I was born to be a mukbang streamer. It turned out to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. My mom always worried I wouldn’t earn enough to feed myself after getting a job. But I do, I do. After all, how can eating not be included when your job is to eat? After graduation, I couldn’t find a job, so I started livestreaming my daily meals. Somehow people started treating me as a mukbang streamer. In reality, I was just eating normally. Although my stream doesn’t have as many viewers as the big streamers, it’s steady. Many fans say they’ve never seen a streamer who broadcasts three meals a day like me. More punctual than an alarm clock. And I chew slowly and enjoyably. They praise me for making eating look so delicious! Of course, I always eat on time, sleep early and wake up early, never picky about food, and enjoy every bite. Many people treat me as their virtual dining companion. I picked up the red envelope Mrs. Quinn gave me. “Thank you so much! I need to go digest now!” Her eyes lit up with curiosity, “Digest?” Zach had an “I knew it” look on his face, “Eating so much and still so thin, heh.” I patted him. “You eat too little. Your stomach is empty. Otherwise, we could go together.” Mrs. Quinn looked excited. “Why don’t I come along? Can I see the secrets of this industry?” I was a bit confused. Don’t rich people know how to digest after meals?

I led them along the street and started walking. Clapping my hands in front and behind while walking. “Walk a hundred steps after meals, hey, live to ninety-nine, hey!” Then raising and lowering my arms, crossing to pat my shoulders. “Rotate to balance yin and yang, boost yang and strengthen the body!” Then snapping my fingers with both hands. “Snap snap, worries go away, hey!” Half an hour later, I closed my eyes contentedly. Mrs. Quinn’s pupils were shaking. “This is what you meant by digesting…?” Zach’s expression was like he’d seen a ghost, his lips pressed tightly together. I nodded. “Don’t you know how to digest after meals?” “I do this set of after-meal walking exercises every day.” Mrs. Quinn suddenly jumped up. She quickly pressed another envelope into my hand. “Good, good, good. Here’s $1,500. Please eat with him for a month first.” “I’ll also arrange for a chef to come. You can have food made according to your requests.” Look at that, I have to brag to my mom. People who know how to eat always have good luck! $30,000 a month! Mrs. Quinn insisted on sending me home. The next day, she sent Zach to live across from me. “I thought about it. Going to my place might make you uncomfortable. Sending him to you is more convenient.” “His nickname is Big Strong. He’s a year younger than you.” She left without looking back after saying that. That’s when I realized they had bought the apartment across from me overnight. They really are wealthy… When will I become one of the rich people in this world! I looked at Zach, whose thin legs looked like ostrich legs. “Big Strong?” He slammed the door shut with a bang. Then opened it a crack, speaking haughtily. “My name is Zach.” Oh well, I told you to be careful when choosing names! Diligent eater, he doesn’t eat! “Okay, Big Strong!”

The next morning, I prepared breakfast. Then I knocked on Zach’s door. Seeing the table full of food I had prepared, Each dish in colorful plates, His handsome face looked as pretty as my plates. What’s that phrase? A feast for the eyes. I had Zach sit at the other end of the long table. Then I set up my phone on a stand and started the livestream. My regular viewers know my streams are very quiet. I only say a few words. “Hello everyone, it’s breakfast time! Here are today’s delicious dishes.” “Bella is going to start eating.” Then I focus on enjoying the food. I first took a bite of the yam, hawthorn and date cake. The sweet and sour taste really opens up the appetite. Zach sat across from me. As I kept chewing and chewing, He couldn’t help but pick up a piece of cake too. Then he drank some porridge just like me. I watched him slowly and robotically mimic my movements. I couldn’t help but share. “Big Strong, I pickled the side dishes myself. They’re super fragrant!” Suddenly comments started flooding the stream. “Is the streamer eating breakfast with someone else today? So last night…??” “Wah, my little cabbage has found a pig.” “Who is it? Which pig dares to go after my soft and tender bun!” I laughed and explained. “My little brother is visiting. I’ll be eating with him for a while. He won’t be on camera. The stream content won’t change!” “Oh it’s her brother. The streamer is so cute, her brother hehe, let us see him too.” “I just like watching the streamer, don’t distract us.” “It’s her brother, that’s fine then. As long as it’s not a pig going after a cabbage.” “Too bad my son is only in first grade, otherwise streamer you should wait for him.” The comments often make me laugh. After I finished eating everything, I ended the stream. “All done, bye bye, see you at lunch!” As I was cleaning up the dishes, Zach stood in front of me with narrowed eyes, his voice rising. “Little brother?” Though thin, he had a large frame and broad shoulders, completely blocking the kitchen entrance. “Little brother Big Strong, what’s wrong?” I pushed him aside. As I expected, no chest muscles. Disappointing. “You…” He moved away from the door, changing the subject. “Other people do product promotions all day. Do you earn enough to cover how much you eat?” I opened my phone to show him the viewer count. Now I have over a thousand people watching me eat every day. Although I never promote products or make big money, I can at least break even. He really knows how to hit where it hurts. I gave him a long look. He let out a light snort and raised his head, not saying anything more. I started doing my post-meal exercises. “Big Strong, join me! When you eat food you made yourself, it feels different.” I went up to him to teach him the movements. His fingers were so long, like a hand model’s. I couldn’t help but pinch them! He pulled back slightly, his ears turning suspiciously red. “What… what are you doing?” “I’m teaching you! You have to do it like this, pound your tiger’s mouth to strengthen your spleen and stomach.” He acted annoyed. But following my one-two-three-four rhythm, his hands also moved a bit. Like a 90-year-old grandma doing the tango in a wheelchair – 10 beats behind! Just then, a voice suddenly came from the door. The door opened with an angry shout. A bouquet of roses was thrown to the ground.

“Bella Tang, what are you doing?” “Is this the wild man who sent you 100 expensive gifts and is now your top fan?” “You’ve even brought him home?” I was stunned by the scolding. Yes. Besides having a talent for eating since I was little, People always said I was slow to react and not very smart at other times. My ex-boyfriend Chris rushed up to Zach, trying to grab his collar. A flash of darkness passed through Zach’s eyes. I quickly blocked him. With Big Strong’s small frame, He might get flipped over if Chris grabbed him. “Chris, what are you doing at my place?” Chris glared. “Bella Tang, I’m your boyfriend!” “You’re talking nonsense. We broke up long ago. How did you get in?” Chris stuck out his neck. “We may have broken up but we can get back together. I’ve taken the initiative to come find you. Let’s make up.” “Did you move on so quickly? And with someone like this? Like this…” ?? He looked Zach up and down with disgust. Deliberately rolling up his sleeve. Showing off a bit of his bicep. “This skinny dog! Bella Tang, have you gone blind?” His words were inappropriate. Big Strong may be thin, but his face is whiter than a girl’s, with slightly messy bangs. A high nose bridge, and lips that look… Like peach-flavored mochi, very delicious. I shook my head. Gosh, what am I thinking? I used to think Chris was handsome enough, but comparing them side by side, tsk tsk, better not compare. “What nonsense are you spouting?” “We broke up long ago. If you dare come again, I’ll… I’ll call the police to arrest you!” Chris stormed out, slamming the door. “Bella Tang? Are you sure?” “I gave you a chance!” “Who else could put up with how much you eat!” I kicked the flowers at him. My hand shook as I closed the door. I frowned, how did Chris have a key to my place? I turned to see Zach striding into his apartment across the hall. As he closed the door, he left a crack, revealing a mocking eye. “Ex-boyfriend? Your taste really is bad!” “I suggest you change your lock.”

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I woke up as a lioness, with three little cubs already nestled in my belly. To raise my kids, I hid the fact that I was married and a mom, then joined a pride. The pride was migrating, and I was utterly exhausted, rushing through the night, clutching my cubs in my jaws. I clung to the group like a lifeline, terrified of falling behind. The Lion King looked like he had something to say, then finally blurted, “You’re moving so fast, aren’t you afraid of losing your cubs?” I prayed the cubs wouldn’t be born too soon. At least not during the dry season. But fate had other plans. I gave birth on the scorching sand, under a blazing sun. Three fluffy little cubs crawled around. All I could see was dry, yellow earth. It hadn’t rained for five months. “Mom, brother scratched me!” “I didn’t scratch her! I just touched her. The rock was hot on my paw, so I shifted.” My cubs bickering was a common occurrence. I lay on the ground, my paws acting as cushions. “Mommy, there’s a mommy over there too.” What was this kid talking about? I followed his gaze and saw a musk ox leading her calf across the plains. “Oh my god, such a big ox! Run, kids!” I shot up instantly, snatched the smallest cub in my jaws, and bolted. I huffed and puffed, charging forward, my cubs struggling to keep up. The more I thought about it, the more something felt off. I slowly started to slow down. I smacked myself on the head. I’m a lion now! I should be hunting that musk ox! By the time I regretted it and looked back, the musk ox mom had already led her calf to safety.

My head was spinning from hunger. My cubs were also wobbly on their feet, lacking milk. The vast, scorching grassland stretched endlessly under the blazing sun. A sudden wave of dread washed over me. If we continued to starve, it would only take one day and night for this land to claim us. I had no choice but to learn to hunt like the lions I’d seen in animal documentaries. I gritted my teeth, enduring the hunger, and trekked dozens of miles. Finally, I caught two voles. They were barely a snack, but at least I had milk now. I rushed back without stopping, eager to feed my cubs, but then I saw three fluffy heads peeking out from behind a dune. “Mommy, look! So many lions.” Kai, the second cub, looked envious. “If we follow them, we’ll definitely get enough to eat.” “Don’t say that!” Finn, the eldest, gave him a small swat with his paw. “We won’t starve with Mom, either.” *Rumble…* Finn’s little belly inconveniently growled. I stood on the dune, gazing into the distance. Across the wide plains, a massive pride was slowly moving. Behind them, the boundless land stretched, and an orange sunset hung in the distant sky. I knew deep down that my cubs had no chance of survival with just me. I clenched my paw and slammed it against the ground. I’m going all in!

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In the final stages of cancer, my only chance at life-saving chemotherapy was bought out by Frank and given to Rachel, who was in the early stages. I gave up on the doctor’s life-saving plan and swallowed strong pain-blocking medication. The price was organ failure and death in 3 days. During these 3 days, I gave up everything. When I handed over all my hard-earned assets to Rachel, my parents smiled with satisfaction. When Frank presented the divorce papers and I signed without hesitation, he sighed and said I was very understanding. When I pushed Lily to call Rachel “mom”, she excitedly said mom was the best. Even when I gave all my properties and assets to Rachel, they didn’t notice anything wrong. They just looked at me with contentment and said, “Our sensible Chloe has finally come back.” But I’m also curious, will they remember me after I die? Under the doctor’s pitying gaze, I swallowed the pain-blocking medication. I had 3 days left to live. After taking the medicine, I went to Rachel’s hospital room. Inside, Dad was peeling an orange for Rachel while Mom chatted with her. When they saw me enter, the smiles on my parents’ faces instantly turned cold. “What, done pretending to be sick and here to pick on Rachel again? Chloe, I’m warning you, don’t you dare bully Rachel while we’re here!” Dad glared at me, his tone icy. “Our Wilson family has always had strict discipline. I don’t know where you learned such bad behavior, being jealous of Rachel and even trying to steal her treatment opportunity,” Mom scolded, pointing at me. “If I had known, I never should have given birth to you!” In a corner hidden from my parents’ view, Rachel smiled at me, her eyes full of provocation. I lowered my gaze. I had heard these words from my parents countless times before. In the past, I would have argued with them and exposed Rachel’s true nature in front of everyone, even though my parents never believed a word I said. But now I was tired, too exhausted to fight anymore. “Well, it’s good you’re here. I have something to discuss with you,” Dad spoke up. I smiled faintly. “Dad, I have something to tell you too.” “Doesn’t Rachel want my store business and company? I’ve thought it over – she can have it all!” Dad was stunned for a moment. Mom also looked at me in surprise. “How did you know I was going to talk to you about this today? You agree?” I forced a smile. No wonder they were shocked and kept confirming. Rachel had wanted my hard-earned businesses for a long time. My parents had said all kinds of things, good and bad, trying to get me to hand over my life’s work to Rachel. But I had always refused. Now that I was dying anyway, these things meant nothing to me. Seeing I looked serious, Mom finally smiled in relief and stepped forward to pat my head. “You’ve finally come to your senses!” “Rachel has always been more talented than you, even when you were in school. Although she’s sick now, her financial management skills are better than yours,” Mom said. “We’ll feel much more at ease if you let her take over your stores and company.” I forced another smile and handed the transfer documents to Rachel. After seeing Rachel sign, my parents happily held my hands, calling me a good child over and over. I felt a hint of bitter irony in my heart. How laughable – only when I gave in to Rachel would Mom smile at me. But I was also curious – if Mom discovered Rachel’s true nature after I died, would she and Dad regret it? That evening, I returned home to find my husband Frank and daughter Lily cooking in the kitchen. Perhaps because of my late-stage cancer, I closed the door softly. The father-daughter pair seemed not to notice, laughing as they cooked together. Frank turned around with a plate of food and saw me. His smile froze for a moment before returning to normal. “Chloe, when did you get back? I didn’t hear you come in.” I silently looked at the dish in Frank’s hands – stir-fried vegetables, Rachel’s favorite. The presentation rivaled that of a professional chef. How ironic. I was about to die, and only now did I learn that Frank, my husband of 5 years, could cook. In the past, he always complained about my cooking. Under Frank’s influence, Lily gradually started criticizing me too. I had worked so hard for this family, but in the end, I didn’t earn an ounce of respect. In the past, I might have started screaming hysterically by now. But now I just calmly walked past them and sat on the couch, sorting through the things in my bag. Seeing my silence, Frank hesitated for a moment. He put the dish on the table and walked over. “Chloe, there’s something I want to discuss with you today.” Frank rubbed his nose awkwardly, hesitating before continuing: “It’s about your sister Rachel.” My heart sank. A bad feeling suddenly washed over me. Frank’s next words left me stunned: “After Rachel finishes her cancer treatment, she’s been feeling very depressed. So your parents suggested I marry Rachel to cheer her up.” My ears were ringing. It took a long time before I found my voice again. “So… you agreed?” Frank sighed. “Chloe, even though Rachel isn’t your biological sister, she’s still family after your parents adopted her. It’s just to cheer her up. Once Rachel is discharged, I’ll still be your husband and Lily’s father.” Before I could speak, Lily chimed in: “That’s right, Mom. Aunt Rachel has been so sad lately. You need to understand!” I silently looked at the father and daughter in front of me. This was the man I had loved for years. This was the child I had raised with such difficulty. I had never done anything wrong. I had given my all to my family, husband, and child. I could face them with a clear conscience. In the end, this was how they repaid me – with betrayal. But it didn’t matter now. If Rachel wanted everything, I would give it all to her. I didn’t want any of it anymore. I raised my head to look at Frank. “Alright, I agree.” Frank’s eyes flashed with surprise. “Really?”

He quickly took out divorce papers from a drawer and placed them on the table. I smirked inwardly. Oh Frank, you can’t even bother to hide your impatience? I picked up the pen and quickly signed my name. After signing, Frank’s face was full of relief. His expression was solemn yet affectionate. “Chloe, once Rachel is discharged, we’ll remarry. Don’t worry, I’ll never let you down!” Frank finished speaking and signed the divorce papers as well. After signing, he looked at me and sighed. “Chloe, you’ve become much more sensible than before. I’ve made mistakes in the past too. I was wrong. After Rachel gets better, I’ll never let you worry about anything again!” “That’s right, Mom!” Lily chimed in like a little adult. “Mom is so good to Aunt Rachel. I’m proud of you!” Looking at them, my heart turned to ashes. Before this, I had held out one last shred of hope for Frank and Lily. But now… Forget it. I had no expectations left, except for death. I stood up, intending to go back to my room to rest. A wave of intense dizziness hit me. I couldn’t help but faint. In the last moment before everything went black, I saw Frank’s worried face. I was jolted awake by a wave of cold. When I opened my eyes, I was surprised to find myself still lying on the floor. Frank and Lily were looking at me with disappointed expressions. “Dad, I told you Mom was faking again!” Lily said. “Mom, can you stop being so childish? You’re really holding us up from going to visit Aunt Rachel at the hospital!” Faking? Frank also spoke up with disappointment: “Chloe, can you stop making a scene? I already told you, even though we’re divorced, you’re still the one I love. There’s no need to use such childish tricks to test me!” After hearing Frank’s words, I finally understood. The pain-blocking medication I had taken would suppress all symptoms for these 3 days. During this time, I would look like a normal, healthy person. But the side effects were severe. After 3 days, I would die from organ failure. It seemed the medication was working quite well. I forced myself to stand up. “It’s probably just low blood sugar. I’m fine. I’ll go to the hospital with you. There are some transfer documents Rachel still needs to sign.” Frank nodded. There was no surprise on his face. My parents must have told him in advance. At the hospital, Rachel was watching TV in her room. “Chloe, you’re here!” Rachel’s face was still very pale, but her spirits seemed much better. However, I didn’t miss the smugness and arrogance in her eyes. “Chloe, thank you for trusting me to manage your businesses. Don’t worry, I won’t let you down!” “That’s right, Chloe. With Rachel managing your stores and company, you can stay home and collect dividends every day. How nice!” Mom said with a smile. I took out the remaining documents from my bag. “In that case, I’ll let her manage all my assets too. That way I won’t have to worry about anything in the future.” Everyone in the room froze. “Chloe, are you serious? You want to give Rachel all your assets?” Frank grabbed my arm, his eyes full of shock. This time it was my turn to be confused. In the past, they had always sided with Rachel. Whatever Rachel wanted, they gave her. If I refused, they would berate me endlessly. How come now that I was giving Rachel everything, they suddenly didn’t understand? Dad was the first to recover. His eyes were full of approval. “This child has finally come to her senses! Our efforts in raising you weren’t wasted!” “Chloe, it’s good that you’ve learned to accept your sister now,” Mom added. “From now on, you two can live well together. Even when we’re old, we can rest easy!” Rest easy? Dad, Mom, you’ve been fooled by Rachel’s act for too many years. Do you really believe Rachel will manage everything well? My head started spinning again. My nose felt itchy. When I touched it, I realized it was a nosebleed. “Chloe, why are you getting a nosebleed? The weather isn’t even dry,” Mom asked. I paused as I wiped the blood. In the end, I couldn’t help but look at them and speak: “Dad, Mom, if I really died from illness one day, would you regret it?” But Mom’s expression didn’t even change. She just smiled and glanced at me. “Your face looks so healthy, how could you possibly die from illness? Don’t say such unlucky things!” “Yes, Rachel is different. We need to make sure she gets proper nutrition once she recovers!” Dad said, looking at Rachel with concern. “I agree!” Lily chimed in. “Mom looks so healthy. Aunt Rachel is the one we’re most worried about!” The last glimmer of hope in my heart disappeared completely. I had nothing left to look forward to… I lowered my head to look at Lily and smiled as I spoke: “Lily, didn’t you always want Rachel to be your real mom? I agree now. Rachel is your mom now. Why don’t you call her ‘Mom’?”

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In the dead of night, my husband held me close and suddenly remarked with emotion: “You look so beautiful with your hair down like this.” His eyes were full of affection, but I felt as if I’d plunged into an icy abyss. Because I always sleep with my hair down every night. A week later, I went for a prenatal checkup and ran into a woman. Her high ponytail and the necklace she wore caught my eye. It was identical to the one Zachary had given me on our anniversary. “Honey?” Zachary suddenly filled my field of vision. “It’s our turn, shall we go in?” I shifted my gaze to his face. His expression was normal, as if he hadn’t noticed that woman at all. Nor had he realized that the necklace around her neck was the same as the one he’d given me not long ago. I nodded and turned around. He stepped ahead to open the door for me. Unexpectedly, as soon as I sat down, his phone rang. “It’s a work call, might be important. I’ll step out to take it.” Zachary had recently joined the board of directors at the company’s branch office, but today was Monday, and there was an unmissable executive meeting at headquarters that he had to attend. However, to accompany me for the checkup, he had still managed to take time off. All these years, he had always put my needs first. When I saw freshly made mooncakes online from thousands of miles away and craved them, he flew across the country to buy them for me that very day. When I had insomnia and couldn’t sleep, he changed his flight while on a business trip to rush back and keep me company. In all our time together, he had never made me shed a single tear. We were known among our friends as the model couple, but I knew that this was all thanks to his tolerance and compromise. He cared about me too much and was too good to me, consistently for seven years. So much so that even now, I could clearly catch the fleeting nervousness on his face as he looked down at his phone. “We’re past the danger period now, everything looks good.” I walked out of the examination room clutching the results. The woman was no longer outside. Zachary came over to meet me. “Finished so quickly?” I instinctively took a step back. Zachary never wore cologne; he knew I didn’t like the smell. But now, there was suddenly a faint sweet scent on him.

Zachary seemed to notice my reaction. He stopped where he was without coming closer, and asked about my test results. “Is everything okay? That’s great.” “Pregnancy is so tough, once the baby is born, I’ll take some time off and we’ll go on a trip together.” “Your appetite hasn’t been great lately, I’ll make you something fresh for dinner tonight.” On the way home, he chattered away. I responded to each comment. The car stopped at a red light. Zachary gripped the steering wheel, his fingers unconsciously fidgeting. “Honey, I might need to go on a business trip soon.” I turned my head to look at him. His hand suddenly tightened on the wheel, and he forced a smile. “To Africa. Once I’m done with work, I’ll look for some local folk art pieces for you.” As an antique restoration expert, those things naturally appealed to me. Zachary knew this – he had always been intimately familiar with my likes, dislikes and habits. So, it was actually quite strange that he had given me such a flashy necklace for Valentine’s Day. And it turned out to be identical to someone else’s. “When are you leaving?” “In two days, probably.” My phone buzzed. I looked up amid the sound of car horns. The light had suddenly turned green. The summer heat was intense. A fly crashed into the windshield, its abdominal patterns swirling and tangled. My stomach churned for no apparent reason. “Honey, are you alright? Do you want to go to the hospital?” The car pulled over to the side of the road. Zachary shielded me from the sun with his body while gently patting my back. He stared at me with concern, his face full of genuine worry. “I’ll tell the project lead to send someone else. I’ll stay home with you.” I looked up and smiled. “Go ahead, work is more important.” He pressed his lips together without saying more, and pulled out a pack of tissues from his pocket to hand to me. The texture was soft, with a sweet scent. “We ran out of the usual ones. I bought these at the convenience store when I stepped out to take the call. Didn’t realize they were scented.”

I asked Zachary to drop me off at my studio. I was feeling better, and it was time to continue working on the white porcelain bowl I had taken on recently. No one was allowed in my workspace, so Zachary waited outside. “I’ll come pick you up after work then.” The cicadas buzzed incessantly in the summer heat. I stood by the window watching his car drive away, my fingers sliding across my phone screen to dial Henry Zhang’s number. He was my mother’s former student who had joined the company with my father’s help, and later became Zachary’s assistant. Personnel changes were strictly regulated in government-invested companies, and there hadn’t been any new hires around Zachary recently. “There’s a new project bidding in Africa, and management arranged for him to lead the team.” After hanging up, I opened the summary of medical records sent by my friend at the hospital. That woman from today was completely ordinary, with no connection to Zachary whatsoever. In fact, she didn’t even seem to be Zachary’s type. I looked down at my belly. I’d heard that due to hormonal changes, pregnant women tend to become sensitive and suspicious. Was I overthinking things? To be fair, Zachary had been beyond reproach towards me. Last year, I took on a job that required a rare restoration material. He cancelled his work to accompany me on a trek through the mountains to find it. On the way, there was a landslide with mud and rocks pouring down. His first reaction was to hold me in his arms, using his body as a shield to protect me. Zachary was an only child from an average family who had lost his father early on. His mother really hoped he could have a child to carry on the family line. After we got married, when he brought it up to me, I casually replied, “Have you seen how difficult childbirth is?” He actually went and researched all kinds of information, learning about the risks of childbirth, and even specially experienced simulated labor pain. After that, he never mentioned children again. I don’t know how he persuaded his mother, but when I accompanied him home, no one brought up the subject to me either. Until that accident. That day, when he woke up in the hospital, I stroked the scars on his back and suddenly made up my mind to have a child with him. Zachary was silent for a long time, then held me tightly in his arms. He hugged me very close, but I couldn’t see the expression on his face.

After finishing gluing the entire bowl back together, I received a message from Zachary. He had to work overtime unexpectedly. The sun was setting outside, and the aging process couldn’t be completed in a short time either. My mother had once taught me that care and love in a marriage should be reciprocal, not just one person giving unilaterally. I ordered some of Zachary’s favorite dishes from our usual private kitchen restaurant and called a car to head to his office. On the way, I habitually opened my social media app. The homepage recommended a set of photos. I never follow celebrity gossip and didn’t recognize the actress in the photos. But the jewelry brand she was wearing looked familiar. It turned out that the necklace Zachary gave me was from a line she endorsed. As if possessed, I started searching for information about her. Former model, stage name Mia, started playing minor roles four years ago. Her resources suddenly improved last year, leading to her rise in popularity. The clouds merged with the setting sun, melting into gold. I opened the car window, letting in the cool evening breeze. It was on an evening like this last year when Zachary joined the board of directors and gained real power. My father opened a treasured bottle of wine to celebrate for him.

I called Neo. He was the client who commissioned the white porcelain bowl, and also the editor-in-chief of a well-known fashion magazine. Mia’s status wasn’t high enough to deal with him directly, but a top actress from her agency had recently been featured in his magazine. “She should have just finished filming a new drama recently. I heard she’s planning to vacation in Kenya in a few days.” “Why are you suddenly interested in celebrity gossip? Oh – she’s going to the same place as your husband.” The car stopped in front of Zachary’s company. I looked up. The office of the vice chairman was on the third floor in the center, now completely dark. Zachary, who claimed to be working overtime, was nowhere to be seen. “Where was she filming before?” Neo mentioned an obscure city name. I happened to have heard of it. Not long ago, Zachary went on a business trip there and brought me back an underglaze painted porcelain vase.

I found Mia’s latest gossip news. During a livestream to promote her drama, netizens noticed ambiguous red marks on her neck. CP fans went wild, while someone who seemed to be a solo fan of the male lead argued in the comments. [Have you all forgotten? Last year she was photographed going home with a man late at night.] My phone screen suddenly went black, reflecting my face in the dark glass. Like a cockroach lurking in a dark corner. Zachary’s call came in. “Honey, you’re not at the studio anymore?” The work tasks were urgent and heavy, but he couldn’t bear to keep me waiting, so he rushed over to pick me up as soon as he got off work. At that time, I was already on my way here, just missing him. The food delivered from the restaurant was still warm. Zachary made two more appetizers for me and a pot of borscht. “Honey, I’ve been thinking, you need someone by your side right now. I won’t go to Africa after all.” I lowered my head to drink the soup, but it felt like something was suddenly stuck in my throat. Half an hour ago, I had just asked Neo to arrange an interview with Mia. For this, she cancelled her travel plans to Kenya.

After dinner, while Zachary went to cut some fruit, I turned on the TV. Soon after, he came out carrying a fruit platter, looking somewhat guilty. “Honey, Director Liu just called—” A sweet female voice came from the TV. Almost at the same moment, Zachary turned his head. Mia’s face appeared on the screen. “What’s wrong?” He seemed mesmerized, not moving for a long time until I spoke up. “I know this actress.” He sat down next to me, casually slipping his phone into his pocket. “She was my junior in middle school. I didn’t expect her to become an actress later. Last year when she saw news about me, she even reached out asking for help.” “What kind of help?” “Networking. She didn’t have any background and was struggling in the industry.” He handed me a piece of peach. “Don’t worry, I didn’t agree. I know that Dad put in a lot of effort to get me to this position. I won’t let him down.” “I didn’t tell you because I was too busy at the time, and we only chatted briefly. I didn’t think much of it at all. I’m sorry, honey.” His tone was natural and open as he explained his relationship with Mia. In contrast, I was the one hiding and probing, like a petty person who couldn’t be brought into the light. “Lena.” He suddenly called my name. “I finally managed to marry you. Everything I have today is hard-earned. I cherish it very much.” He hugged me, his heart pressed close to my cheek. I smelled the familiar clean scent again, which was reassuring. That night, while Zachary was in the shower, I sat on the bed scrolling through my phone. A few years ago, I had registered an account on a social media platform where I occasionally posted about my daily life as an antique restorer, as well as some of my paintings. I had gradually accumulated tens of thousands of followers, and every time I opened the app, there were quite a few private messages. About an hour ago, one of my longtime followers had sent me a message. [Lena, I’m so upset. I’m sick, but my boyfriend stood me up to go be with another woman.] I suddenly turned my head to look at Zachary’s phone charging on the nightstand.

In the kitchen, Zachary took a phone call. When he came out with the fruit, he had actually wanted to tell me he needed to go back to work. In the end, I didn’t ask what made him choose to stay home instead. Similarly, I didn’t touch his phone either. Zachary knew better than anyone that I couldn’t tolerate even a speck of sand in my eye. If he had really done something he couldn’t let me know about, he wouldn’t leave any traces in plain sight. I don’t like to drag things out – it’s either all or nothing for me. “Honey, I want to go to Zen Cloud Temple on Saturday.” Zachary didn’t have to work on weekends, so he happily agreed. I got up early, leaving before sunrise. As the car passed through the highway toll booth, I received a message from Neo. He had already taken Zachary’s car keys and was on his way to Mia’s house. On the day we arranged the interview, Neo had suggested going to her home first to shoot some behind-the-scenes material, as I had requested. He was an expert in this field and easily convinced Mia. The ancient temple stood amidst layered mountains. I climbed the steps one by one. As the clouds parted and the mist cleared, Buddhist scriptures chanted, and the Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva’s statue looked solemn yet compassionate. The fortune slip fell to the ground. — Young love of wine and flowers, unlike the old feelings. “Do you want to draw another one?” Zachary bent down to help me up. I turned around. Dark clouds obscured the sun above, as if a heavy rain was coming. A few minutes ago, Neo had driven Zachary’s car out of Mia’s neighborhood. Whether going in or out, he wasn’t stopped once while driving Zachary’s car.

I contacted the fan who had commented on Mia’s Weibo post before. The original post containing photos of Mia and the mysterious man going home late at night could no longer be found. But based on the information she provided, I tracked down the gossip account that had posted it. They refused to disclose any information, saying they couldn’t afford to offend the person involved. What kind of person would have such great influence? Before I could figure it out, I saw my own name trending on social media.

I do antique restoration work and have indeed made a small name for myself in the industry. I’ve also dabbled a bit in the antiques and painting circles, but I’m really not connected to entertainment gossip at all. Several trending topics on Weibo in a row were clearly targeting me specifically. The gossip accounts not only released my information and social media accounts, but also directly attacked my family. My family had made their fortune through antique research generations ago, but my father’s generation had switched to real estate and no longer dealt with those items. The poster persisted, saying my family’s assets were questionable, and even the fairness of my mother’s position as a university professor was debatable. There was no real evidence, but their ability to set the tone and stir up emotions was strong. In the blink of an eye, my account was flooded. Amidst a sea of insults, there were even some unconventional voices accusing my family of using money and power to coerce aspiring youth, disregarding law and morality. I had a good idea who they were referring to, and found the whole thing rather absurd. After carefully screenshotting and saving the content, poster information, and comments, I prepared to call my parents to give them a heads up. When I returned to the main page, the posts that had been at the top suddenly dropped to the bottom. I wasn’t sure if Zachary would protect me, but I was certain he couldn’t do something like this. I sounded out my parents, then contacted a few well-connected friends, but they were all clueless. In the end, it was my childhood friend Sophia who provided me with a clue. “Are you still in touch with Gabriel Hughes?” Those three words were like pulling a trigger, setting off an underground explosion as memories came flooding back. Ah, Gabriel Hughes. If it was him, he certainly had that kind of power.

Zachary had a work dinner tonight. Worried that my pregnancy nausea would make me dislike the food our housekeeper Mrs. Wang cooked, he specially got off work early to come home and prepare dinner for me. “I asked Henry to come along to help me fend off some of the drinks.” Henry’s car was parked outside waiting. While Zachary was busy in the kitchen, I invited Henry to come in and sit for a while. “Who would have thought? The boss is so stern and decisive at work, but at home he puts on an apron. It’s only for you, sister-in-law.” “This tea has such a unique flavor. Is it another one you brought back from your travels, sister-in-law?” I smiled without answering, and poured him another cup. Every time Zachary went on a business trip, he would bring me gifts. Sometimes luxury items, other times local specialties. The time before last, he brought me back a tea set and some locally produced tea leaves. It was also that time when he first went out of contact late at night. I was so angry I immediately scheduled an abortion for the next day, and even considered divorce. Zachary rushed back overnight and brought Henry as a witness. He said that during those few hours they were unreachable, they had been forced to drink a lot and both passed out, not realizing their phones had died. “So—” I took a sip of tea, sweet with a hint of bitterness and endless aftertaste. “You’ve never had this tea before.” After Zachary and Henry left, I set out as well. I drove Zachary’s car straight to Mia’s neighborhood. As Neo had said, the parking gate lifted automatically, and the security guard at the entrance smiled and welcomed me home. I parked the car under a tree. My phone vibrated with a message from Zachary. [Honey, I’ve arrived.] He also sent a photo of the dinner party and the location. I didn’t open it, because a minute later, he got out of a car and headed straight for Mia’s villa. I watched as he lightly pressed his fingertip to the door lock. The fingerprint was recognized successfully, and he pulled the door open to enter. Dark clouds gradually gathered, and the air felt humid and oppressive. By the time I caught my breath, I was already standing at Mia’s front door. The smart lock looked incredibly familiar – it was the exact same model we used at home. I instinctively entered our home password – the date Zachary and I got together. The door opened.

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